


Captum Stellas

by Scribbles97



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Demisexual John, Implied/Referenced Torture, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-02-06 18:18:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 32,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12823320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribbles97/pseuds/Scribbles97
Summary: John's seen more than one star fall through the sky, but never had he known they were being captured.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you @mrseviltedi for putting up with my endless and stupidly long messages regarding this work, wouldn't be half as good without you!

The sun burnt the back of his neck, the same way it did every day on that godforsaken island. It wasn’t even midday but the sweat trailed down his back, soaking the waistband of the standard issue tracksuit bottoms he wore. 

In front of him, the man carrying a length of coiled hose stumbled, falling to the ground. Instinct had him lurching forward, dropping his own load of parts in the dust of the ground. 

“You alright buddy?”

The man shook his head as he pulled him to sit up, his skin pale despite the amount of time they spent under the sun’s rays. 

Before he replied, both were yanked apart. He winced as the guards pulled on his collar, wrenching his already aching shoulder. 

“What have you been told about contact? Huh?” The guard asked, “You’re an idiot if you haven’t already learnt your lesson, Tracy.”

The second guard straightened, ignoring the pale man on the floor as he looked to him, 

“Apollo wanted to see you anyway, she’ll be  _ thrilled _ to hear about another slip.”

He shook his head at the pair, 

“I can’t help my nature.”

The but of a gun nudged his back, 

“Get on with your work. You’d best get finished before Apollo wants you.”

 

Given little option but to obey, he turned to collect the scattered parts, replacing them in their box before following the group back towards the shade of the warehouse. He paused at the rumbling of a ship above them, looking up to find a high-altitude cargo plane on approach. The guards seemed unconcerned about the approach, telling him it must have been expected by them at least. 

Deliveries were only ever made on Fridays though, never in the middle of the week and never coming from the south west. 

 

Ducking his head he continued into the warehouse, the cool of the shade only a light relief from the baking sun. Dropping the box off at the workstation required, he set about unpacking the load, categorizing each part as needed for the build. 

Outside he could hear the whine of the engines as they adjusted themselves for landing, confirming that the plane was indeed destined for their invisible island. Part of him wondered what it was that would be needed so badly to arrive mid week, the sense he had left told him to not ask questions that would get him in trouble. 

The need to know had always been a Tracy trait though, and he couldn’t resist looking up from his station towards the doors of the warehouse. 

 

“Something to see, Tracy?”

He jumped at the voice, wincing as the part he had been sorting fell to the work bench. Swallowing he looked to the most familiar guard, 

“Nova,” He greeted the top goon, “Someone mentioned Apollo wanted to see me.”

Nova didn’t reply as he grasped his arm, all but dragging him from the warehouse and through the hallways of the maze of buildings. He didn’t fight, despite his dislike of being man handled, even the strictness of the Air Force had never treated him in the way Apollo’s goons did. Over the time there he had learnt better than to try and fight against the goons, the consequences weren’t worth the risk so he followed obediently along the hallways. 

He frowned as he realised where he was being lead, 

“This to do with the plane coming in?” He asked as they turned towards the processing hall, where all new arrivals were stripped of all they had. They’d taken him there enough times, taunting him with those unlawfully imprisoned. 

Nova’s grip tightened, giving him the answer he wanted despite the utter of,

“You should know better than to ask questions Tracy.”

He grinned as he shrugged, 

“Can’t help it being in my nature.”

 

He raised his chin as they stepped onto the ground level of the hall rather than one of the gantries they usually looked down from, 

“Apollo,” He greeted with a smile, “Always a pleasure,”

As always, she looked over him, unimpressed with her arms folded in front of her. 

“I hear you’ve been getting yourself in trouble again,” She stated, “Will you never learn?”

He laughed with a shrug, 

“I’ve not learnt yet, do you actually expect me to?”

“I feel I might now have methods to  _ make _ you learn.”

 

She gestured forward to the pod sat in the centre of the room, he recognised it as a GDF space hopper without the lettering on its side. He nodded as he looked from the pod to Apollo, 

“Quite a recent model,” He stated, “I remember helping with the prototypes for this, see you don’t need me when you can just steal this stuff,”

Apollo grinned as she nodded to her goons,

“It’s not the pod itself I was after.” She told him as the doors hissed open. 

He straightened, attention drawn as the pair of goons entered the pod. There was a long moment of quiet before one reappeared, 

“Uh boss…”

Apollo waved her arm, 

“Bring them out!” 

The goon vanished for a moment before they both returned, a body suspended between them. Apollo stepped forward, looking from him to her goons, 

“Who the hell is this?”

The woman between the goons glowered, 

“What the hell am I doing on  _ earth _ .”

He looked to Apollo, hesitating a moment before speaking, 

“I take it you weren’t planning on this being the person?”

 

She mustn’t have heard him as she stepped forward, grabbing Nova by the collar, 

“Does this  _ look _ like a man to you?” She snapped, “Does it  _ look _ like one of  _ his _ family?”

His legs wobbled beneath him as he listened to Apollo’s words. Apparently, the innocent astronaut hadn’t been the intended target. Apparently, they had intended on revealing someone much more shocking to him. Apparently, they had intended on bringing him one of his sons.


	2. Chapter 2

“Thunderbirds one and two returning to base,”

John closed the holograms he had been monitoring, 

“F.A.B.” He checked his clock, “You’ll be back just in time for bed time stories,”

Scott chuckled down the comms, 

“Even better.”

“Hey, don’t  _ you _ have bedtime stories to share with Ridley?” Gordon chipped in with too much of a grin. 

 

John shook his head at his younger brother, hardly offering him a sideways glance as he checked over the developing situations. 

“It’s only polite to make sure she got back safe,” He replied, “Did you never listen on how to be a gentleman?”

“This is  _ Gordon _ we’re talking about,” Virgil laughed, “Gentleman isn’t in his vocabulary.”

“Hey!” Gordon snapped defensively, “That’s not--” He cut himself off, taking a breath before starting over, “ _ I’m _ the only one dating a  _ Lady _ .”

The older three had no option but to concede to the point, nodding quietly as Gordon grinned triumphantly. 

 

“You go and take a break John,” Scott told him as the conversation lulled, “We’ll call in once we’re home.”

He kicked back, letting the zero gravity hold him, 

“F.A.B. I’ll talk to you later.”

He twisted to the other comms, opening up a new channel, 

“Global One, this is Thunderbird Five, come in?”

“This is Global One receiving you Thunderbird Five,” A man answered, John vaguely recognised it as Clarke. 

“I was wondering if Captain O’Bannon was there, Clarke isn’t it?”

The man’s smile was tight as he nodded, 

“Yes, that’s me… but we assumed Ridley was still over with you John?”

 

John’s shoulders sunk. Ridley had left as the rescue call had come in and called for his attention. That had been hours ago. 

“Confirm, she hasn’t returned to Global one?”

Clarke nodded, 

“Captain O’Bannon has not been on Global One since Twenty One Hundred UTC.”

He looked to his world clocks above him, 

“She left over four hours ago,” He swallowed, turning back to his holograms, “Where the hell has she gone?”

Clarke looked to his own holograms,

“I will try the tracker, we should be able to find her that way.”

John looked up as Eos’ camera joined him in the central hub, 

“What is the problem John?” She asked. 

He took a breath, swiping the wind back the feed from the external cameras, 

“Ridley never arrived back at Global One.”

The camera’s lights were blue when she spoke next,

“And she has not contacted anyone?”

The camera sunk back slightly at his glare. At her action John softened, shaking his head with a sigh, 

“Sorry Eos, I’m just worried,”

“I understand,” She responded, “You are close to Ridley.”

He looked back to the camera feed he was winding through, 

“We have nothing after she’s out of the camera field.”

 

Clarke looked up to him with a shake of his head, 

“Our tracker isn’t showing anything,”

John rubbed the bridge of his nose, taking a breath before he asked, 

“What exactly does that mean?”

He didn’t like the way Clarke avoided his gaze before he answered, 

“Either it’s been disabled somehow or…” he hesitated, “... or destroyed.”

John was glad the gravity was off, otherwise he knew he might have fallen. 

“I’m contacting our bosses now,” Clarke was saying, though the words seemed to go straight over John. His hand stretched out to the wall, looking for something to ground him as the facts sunk in and processed. 

“Tracy Island?” Eos was saying over him, “We have a situation.”

 

*

For Scott the automatic doors couldn’t open soon enough once the elevator had landed. He could see the thrusters had cut out, the systems shutting down one by one. When the entry light finally turned green he was through the door as soon as he could fit. 

Listening to the comms had scared him, John had been virtually silent leaving Eos and Clarke from the GDF station to fill them all in on what had happened. On Thunderbird Five John was  _ never _ silent, he was always full of facts, data, and statistics. It spooked Scott that he suddenly seemed so spaced out. 

 

“John?” He called out as he stepped onto the gantry. He’d made his way out of the elevator but seemed frozen on the steps, his hand gripping the railing. Scott jogged up to him, taking his shoulders and gripping tight, 

“Hey, Johnny, come on,”

His gaze snapped up, 

“Please don’t call me that.”

 

Scott raised an eyebrow, 

“How’re you doing?”

John shook his head, legs folding as he sunk down onto the cold steel of the steps he rubbed his face with a deep sigh. Scott shifted to sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. He waited for a long moment, then two, before he nudged him,

“John.”

He shook his head again, turning his head slightly towards his older brother, 

“I… How’s this happened?”

“We’re going to find out,” Scott murmured, squeezing his shoulder, “Okay?”

John shifted straight, running a hand through his hair. Scott wondered if he realised he was fidgeting, a habit of a lifetime when he was stuck on something. 

“I don’t…” He swallowed, “... How… I should have checked sooner,”

Scott shook his head, 

“She visits what? Two, three times a week? You had no reason to need to check,”

John rested his head in his hands, 

“Would you not check if it were Jen? Gordon if it were Penny? Virg and Brains?”

Scott shrugged, 

“It’s different.”

 

He should have expected the look of disbelief John gave him. Whilst they all may have teased about the relationship that wasn’t, they knew how close the pair were. It might have been a different kind of relationship, but Scott knew love when he saw it no matter how it manifested itself. 

“Okay,” Scott sighed, “Maybe it’s not different like  _ that _ . But it is different, you wouldn’t expect someone to vanish in space. I mean, neither Eos or the GDF can find any debris so she’s got to be somewhere,”

John opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment before he spoke, 

“Scott, I… I don’t know what I’ll do if…”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Scott murmured, “We’ll find her.”

He stood, holding his hand out to John, 

“Come on, Colonel Casey wants us to fly over to London first thing.”

John frowned, 

“What’s it got to do with Aunt Val?”

Scott pressed his lips in a thin line, “That’s what I’d like to know.”


	3. Chapter 3

Penelope stood before the handle on the door even began to turn. She went straight to John, hugging him tightly, 

“It’s not your fault,” She murmured in his ear, pulling back to look at him properly, “Do you hear?”

He rolled his eyes,

“So everyone keeps telling me.”

She shook her head, turning to look at the woman sat at the head of the table in the conference room, 

“I get the feeling we’re here because that fact is true.”

“Gentlemen,” Colonel Casey gestured to the table, “Please, take a seat.”

 

Once they were all seated, Scott sat forward, 

“What’s going on Colonel Casey?”

She gestured to the files in front of each of their seats, each filled thick with papers. Each of them looked through the folders, flicking through a series of profiles before looking back to the colonel in confusion. 

“These are profiles of some of the  _ world's _ finest astronauts,”

Scott looked across the table to Penelope as she cleared her throat, glancing over to John before she spoke, 

“But by far not  _ all _ of them, surely?”

Casey’s smile was brief before she hid the knowing look and nodded, 

“It is by no means a complete list, but they all do have something in common.”

 

Kayo closed her folder, no doubt having already digested the information given and starting herself down routes of enquiry. She looked straight down the table as she raised her chin, silently asking the question of what the link was. 

“All of these astronauts have disappeared in the last three years, some from training bases, others from their homes, and the odd few from space itself,”

Kayo wasn’t sure if it was just her hearing that picked up on John’s quiet whisper, 

“The same way as Ridley.”

She ignored the statement, reopening the file and spreading out the eleven profiles. 

“How do you know these are the only ones?” She asked glancing over the pages, “How do we know there aren’t others that have perhaps left the field?”

She sat straighter as Casey leant forward, 

“What are you implying, Kayo?”

 

She reached and pointed to one profile, 

“Harry Dolan, vanished from a flight from Miami to the Australian Research and Space Exploration centre, four years ago. Kat Liu assumed kidnapped from a floating satellite dish in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, three and a half years ago,”

Casey’s eyes hardened down the table, and Kayo caught the smallest shake of her head. The seed had been planted in her mind though and it was already beginning to germinate. She couldn’t  _ not _ bring up her point, 

“Jeff Tracy,” She started, “Acclaimed astronaut, first man on Mars and an engineer to boot. Look at your profiles,  _ seven _ of them have certificates in engin--”

“No.” Scott cut her off, glaring down the table, “ _ No _ , we are not going there. We’ve put all that to bed, don’t start bringing it back up now.”

“It doesn’t match anyway,” Casey cut in, “The mean age of the eleven is twenty nine years old, Jeff Tracy would be almost double that age, he doesn’t fit the profile. Even so, if Jeff were involved, they’d probably be after Captain Taylor as well, and he’s still around.”

Kayo took a breath, wanting to argue her case but knowing better than to push. She sat back, spreading her hands in resignation, 

“Alright, so what did you want to tell us this for?”

 

Casey sat forward, reaching to the hologram and bringing up a twelfth profile -- Ridley’s profile. 

“John was the last to see Ridley,” She told them, looking up the table to him, “And she was taken just after leaving Thunderbird Five,”

She looked to Scott as his hand fell open on the table, inviting further explanation, 

“So?”

She looked around the group,

“So,” She paused looking to John, “I think people are plotting this, and picking off certain people for reasons yet to be understood,” She sat forward, dropping her voice slightly, “I fear that it is likely that Captain O’Bannon wasn’t the targ--”

“Wait,” Alan cut in, eyes wide as he looked to the profiled still in front of Kayo, “You think Ridley was taken for the same reason as all these guys?”

She took a deep breath, 

“I believe that John was meant to be taken for the same reason.”

 

John’s head snapped up, eyes wide, 

“What?”

He shook his head, looking up and down the table as his mouth gaped,

“But… why? I’m not… Ridley…”

Casey sighed, 

“Ridley might be a  _ good _ astronaut and a good leader for Global One, but she is by no means an engineer.”

John blinked hard, shaking his head slowly, 

“Colonel, you’re saying that  _ I _ was meant to be taken instead of Ridley?”

She nodded, folding her arms as she sat back, 

“And in all honesty, it’s a bit of a bugger that you weren’t.”

 

Penelope snorted, at the look on Scott’s face,

“Don’t look so panicked Scott,” She tutted, “She simply means because of your data chips,”

Reaching her hand up, she squeezed John’s shoulder, 

“It’s not your fault,”

John shook his head, 

“How could they manage to take her instead of me though? I mean… there’s an obvious difference.”

 

“I have to agree,” A childlike voice answered, the hologram in the centre of the table lighting up with a circle of coloured dots, “It is quite an obvious mistake to make, taking Ridley instead of John.”

Penelope sighed, 

“Eos, you really mustn’t sneak up on people like that,”

“I apologise.” She responded, “However, I may have something you would like to see that my sensors picked up a short while ago.”

 

John looked up, watching the hologram with a frown. The pod he recognised as Ridley’s, the ID code on its side as familiar as his own phone number. It’s direction worried him. It appeared to be heading towards the faint glow of the earth at the bottom of the image. Sure enough, after a few seconds the familiar glow began, the outer shell of the pod heating as it hit earth’s atmosphere. 

He looked to their Aunt, 

“Are the pods tested for--”

“Yes,” Casey cut him off, her eyes not breaking from the hologram, “Though I’ve been told the reentry isn’t comfortable,”

John’s look darted to the snort across the table, 

“Like it ever is.”

He couldn’t help a smirk at Virgil’s comment, 

“You don’t know what an uncomfortable ride is.”

Looking back to the hologram, he sucked in a breath, 

_ She’ll be burning up in there _ . 

He didn’t like to think back to the simulations he had gone through as a newbie, all of the harshest reentry simulators thrown at them in preparation of what  _ could _ go wrong. It was luck that he’d never had to reexperience them during his life in space so far. 

 

“What the--” Scott uttered as another ship came into view. Its build was like that of a GDF carrier, but there were a set of obvious alterations as it rose over the descending pod. Lines launched, catching the pod mid-air, slowing it fractionally before it was swallowed up into the belly of the ship. 

“My sensors lose the ship once it gets out of range of the cameras I cannot find even a heat signature.”

 

Kayo looked around the table as everyone drew their eyes from the hologram, 

“I guess we’ve just found whoever it is taking your astronauts.”


	4. Chapter 4

Jeff looked back to the woman pulled from the craft. She had been dumped at it’s door when the goons had realised she wasn’t who she was meant to be. Her eyes caught his, a million questions shining in the moment that she watched him. He gave a small shake of his head, 

_ Don’t fight _ , He thought, hoping she was getting the message,  _ Just go with it kid _ . 

 

Apollo stopped her pacing, waving her arm at the woman with a sigh, 

“Well you may not be  _ who _ I wanted, but you’re clearly still an astronaut,”

She turned to Jeff, nodding her head towards the woman,

“You know the drill Tracy,” She looked back to the woman as she added quietly to him, “And you know what happens if she doesn’t comply.”

He tensed, hardly needing the reminder of what would happen to the recruits he couldn’t get to comply. 

 

The doors banged closed as they left, leaving him and the woman. She was leaning up against the pod, pale against the dark hood of her suit. 

“Any chance of a drink around here?”

He shook his head at her, 

“Not until you get to your room,” He sighed, turning to the cupboard on the wall, glancing over to her, “You’re a medium, right?”

She nodded, 

“Sure, why?”

He tugged out the tracksuit trousers and t-shirt, turning to hold them out to her, 

“You need to put these on.”

Her nose wrinkled in disgust, 

“What  _ is _ this place?”

 

Jeff sighed, always the same questions, where were they, why were they there, who was Apollo. Easing himself down to sit opposite her, he brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them before he spoke, 

“It’s a labor camp, and no, you’re not the first to be plucked from the middle of nowhere and brought here,”

“Hello,” She gestured at her standard GDF suit, “I was plucked from  _ space _ !” 

Jeff shrugged,

“You’re not the first.”

She frowned, 

“Wait,” She rubbed at her eyes, “Sorry, the change in pressure, I thought for a second there…”

Jeff nodded, 

“If you can cope with that reentry kid, you’ll never complain about arriving dirt-side again.”

 

He shifted to stand, 

“Come on, you need to get changed,”

She accepted the hand he offered, screwing her eyes shut at the invisible wave that knocked her back. He caught her shoulder, supporting her gently,

“Mind if I unzip you?”

She shook her head, 

“Go ahead.”

 

Helping her out of the suit, he dumped it back in the pod turning back to her as she turned to him. The fluorescent lighting above them caught the chain around her neck, the gold flashing slightly as she moved. He frowned as he looked to the red stone resting over the dip in her neck. He couldn’t help himself from reaching out to touch it, the smooth sphere clouded like it was full with space dust. 

“Where did you get this?”

She looked up, meeting his eyes again. Her lips parted in a quiet gasp. Frowning, she blinked hard again before looking back to him, 

“Wait,” She stepped back, “You’re… gosh, I thought it was just my sight… you’re Jeff Tracy?”

He tugged the necklace again, 

“ _ Where _ did you get this?”

 

She dropped her gaze to the stone, taking a breath before reaching back to unclip the necklace, dropping it into his hand, 

“I know,” She nodded, “It’s yours… John gave it to me for christmas, he said it was his mother’s.”

Her lips pursed as he blinked hard, 

“What?”

She swallowed, stepping back slightly, 

“I’ve gotten to know your son, John, quite well. He gave me this,”

His glance up looked nervous as he shoved the necklace in his pocket, 

“Is he safe?”

She shrugged, 

“When I left Thunderbird Five he was,”

The widening of his eyes suggested that that was perhaps the wrong thing to say. He grabbed her arm, pulling her in so he could whisper in her ear,

“You were  _ on _ Thunderbird Five?”

Shocked at the action, she nodded slowly. His grip on her arm tightened, 

“You tell them  _ nothing _ okay? You do as they ask and get on with what you’re told. They kill anyone who so much as steps out of line.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded again, 

“Understood.”

 

He pulled back as suddenly as he had pulled her in, turning away and starting to pace, 

“What’s your name?”

She stood as straight as she could, the attempt marred by the dizziness mushing her brain, 

“Captain Ridley O’Bannon.”

He paused in his pacing, nodding to the clothes, 

“Get changed, then I’ll show you around.”

Turning away, he swallowed, letting his shoulders sink as he felt the weight of the necklace in his pocket. It was illegal in every manner -- dust collected from Mars on his first mission, compressed within the glass sphere. 

He could only hope that Apollo didn’t catch him with it.

 

At the quiet cough, he turned back to Ridley, 

“Ready?”

She nodded, 

“So, what is this place?”

He shrugged, leading her towards the door, 

“A living nightmare.”


	5. Chapter 5

It was the first bit of quiet he had had all week, a rescue interrupting their meeting with Colonel Casey, and then a series of back-to-back disasters needing International Rescue’s attention. Even when he wasn’t in uniform, he was going over the files Casey had given him in the hope of finding something of significance. 

In the hope that he could offer his brother some consolation. 

 

He sighed as he ran his fingers over the downy hair of his own first born, watching her chest rise and fall in such tiny movements. It was a small wonder that something so small could bring him so much peace. 

“Hey,”

Scott looked up at the whisper, eyes taking a moment to focus against the light of the hallway. Relaxing, he smiled as Jen stepped into the room, standing behind him to kiss his shoulder, 

“It’s bedtime mister Tracy.”

Tilting his head down to rest against hers, he sighed softly again, 

“Since when did adults have bed times?”

Jen laughed quietly as she watched him set Lucy down in her cot, 

“Scott, you’ve had back to back rescues! You  _ need _ to rest.”

 

He took her hand, guiding her from the room and across the hallway to their own. Jen squeezed his fingertips as she pulled him down onto the bed, 

“You’re still stressing about Ridley.”

“I’m stressing about John stressing about Ridley,” he corrected, lying back next to her, “I can’t help but think there’s something more going on.”

Jen twisted, shifting so she was leaning on his chest. Her eyes were giving him that deep pleading look, and he knew that she was more than just worried about him,

“You can’t spend every waking minute worrying,” She told him, “Scott, you’ll…”

She trailed off but he knew where her statement was heading. Just when he’d gotten out of worrying over his brothers in all but dire circumstances, he was headed back the way he had come. 

Sighing he turned his gaze away from her. He closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the top of his nose as he did.

“What?” Jen prompted, as he had expected. She knew his signals like he knew hers, and once she caught on she wasn’t going to let go.

 

“There was something else said at the meeting,” He murmured, looking back to her. She raised an eyebrow, shifting to sit up and face him, 

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“No,” He protested quietly, reaching out to take her hand that was still resting on his chest, “I just wanted to put it out my mind, try and forget about it.”

She curled back into his side, apparently accepting his reasoning as she squeezed his hand. He knew she probably had a million thoughts about it all, so there was little point in waiting to tell her. His thoughts must have taken too long though, as she prompted,

“What is it?”

Combing his fingers through her hair, he knew that he was stalling himself. He shook his head, 

“The world's best astronauts have been vanishing,” He started quietly, unable to raise his voice above a whisper, “And Kayo asked why Dad wasn’t included in that list.”

 

He felt her shoulders sink against him as she sighed softly, twisting to look up to him. Her eyes were wide but soft, 

“Shit Scott,... you…” She sighed, “What…”

“I don’t want to think about it!” He snapped, “I just…” 

Sighing he looked back to her, “Jen I can’t go through all that again, I  _ can’t _ get my hopes up because it’s not worth it,”

“We know how this story ends.” She murmured, taking his hand. He bit his lip, pressing his face into her hair. His voice cracked as he spoke, 

“He’s not coming back Jen.”

She wished she could say something more, do anything to ease the heartache that had resurfaced. The feeling of helplessness hurt as she reached up to brush the damp streaks from his cheeks. 

 

“Scott, you still up?”

He pulled away at the call, sniffing hard before he cleared his throat, 

“Yeah, what’s up Kayo?”

As her hologram popped up, Jen knew she would pick up straight away on his tone, 

“I’m not disturbing anything, am I?”

“No,” Scott forced a smile, “What is it?”

“I might have a lead,” She told him, “But you’re not gonna like it.”

Scott shrugged, 

“I might surprise you, what is it?”

She wasn’t smiling as she looked at them across the hologram, 

“It involves the Hood.”

  
  


***

Scott rubbed his forehead, every part of him screaming  _ no _ at the idea. It was their only lead in a week though, and he knew that sitting and waiting wasn’t an option. If whoever had taken Ridley had been after John, he knew it was only a matter of time before they came back to correct their mistake. 

They were already a week closer to that deadline.

 

“I don’t like it.”

Kayo folded her arms, 

“Do  _ you _ have a better idea?”

He shrugged, 

“I could probably come up with something that  _ didn’t _ involve you going somewhere sleazy.”

She tutted and rolled her eyes, hopping down from the desk, 

“The establishment itself isn’t  _ sleazy _ , it’s the people that frequent it,” She stalked around the room, swaying her hips with a coy smile, “Trust me, I know he’ll be there.”

Scott nodded, 

“And so will be drug dealers, murderers and--”

She sighed, turning back to him with a raised eyebrow, 

“Has the Hood  _ ever _ let anything happen to me?”

 

Scott knew she had him beat, the Hood might have been bad but he clearly had a heart -- especially when it came to his niece. He had seen that fact with his own eyes, something he would rather forget if he were honest with himself. 

It was a lead though, and even if he didn’t want to admit it, Kayo was capable. There was still one thing that bothered him though, 

“Why are you asking me about it?”

Her smile widened as she shook her head, 

“I wasn’t  _ asking _ , more giving you a heads up… I’m meeting Penny there tomorrow afternoon.”

“Well that’s a small comfort.”

She slid past his seat, still smiling as she looked back to him, 

“We’ll be fine.”

 

Scott sighed as she reached the door, rubbing his forehead as she slipped out into the dark lounge. He didn’t dare think what the consequences may be if she got caught, but he knew he had to. She was his sister, and he wasn’t sure the family would cope if she vanished too.

 

He looked up as Jenny joined him, perching on the arm of the chair,

“You need to sleep.”

“I  _ need _ my family back in one piece,” He murmured softly to her, “But right now, neither seem likely.”

“It will happen,” She whispered, “You just have to trust that things will fall in place,”

When she tugged gently at his arm, he sighed with a shake of his head. 

“Sitting up worrying won’t help,” Jen told him, “At least come and try to sleep.”

He dropped her hand, his eye wandering to the drinks cabinet in the corner, 

“I’ll be up in a minute.”

Jen shook her head, taking his shoulder and tugging him again, 

“ _ No _ , you’re coming now.”

He knew he couldn’t argue, and really he didn’t want to. What she was implying was right, he didn’t need drink, he needed sleep and a fresh start. 

With another sigh he pushed himself up, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, 

“What would I do without you?”

She didn’t reply, but he saw the purse of her lips that warned that she didn’t want to think about that situation. 

He didn’t really blame her.


	6. Chapter 6

Ridley paused, leaning against the cool stone of the wall as she glanced out into the burning sun. Reaching up, she wiped the sweat from her brow wincing at the heat of her skin. She sighed as she spotted Jeff, shaking her head at him walking over to the table he had been working out, 

“It’s too hot to be shifting all this stuff,” 

He didn’t set down his tools as he nodded, barely glancing up to her as he spoke,

“Don’t you think I know that?”

She looked down to the parts, arranging and rearranging them as a guard passed, not daring to be caught with downed tools. Early on, she had learnt the lesson for disobedience. 

 

“There has to be some way out,” 

Jeff shook his head slowly, glancing around before murmuring, 

“I’m not risking people’s lives for a chance.”

Her eyes lit up, she leant in further, 

“So there  _ is _ a way?”

His glare was hard when he looked to her, 

“No.”

He looked up, eyeing the guard that passed them, 

“Go and get on with your work.”

She followed his look, sighing as she stepped back from the workbench and turned to head back out into the sweltering heat. 

 

It seemed wrong for him to have given up. From what she had listened to from the boys, their father never gave up and he had passed that stubbornness onto each of them. She couldn’t believe that he was telling her to not fight, refusing to tell her the ways out. There may have been a cost, but she was certain that the risk may have been work the reward. 

_ Does he not realise how badly his family misses him?  _ She asked herself as she hauled the next box up onto her shoulder,  _ Does he not want to get home to them? _

 

By the late evening, her thoughts had spiralled, manifesting in anger against the man that she was sure no longer could really be Jeff Tracy.

When he pulled her to one side of the mess hall, she had to fight the urge to shrug him off. He gestured to the seat, waiting for her to sit down before he sat opposite her. 

 

“Why the--”

“Don’t,” He sighed, rubbing his face, “I know, okay? I  _ get _ what you’re thinking.”

She watched him as he rubbed at his temples, eyes heavy and dark, his hands worn and scarred. He swallowed, shaking his head slowly as he looked up to her, 

“I  _ can’t _ let anyone here come to harm,” He murmured, hand drifting out to the rest of the room, “Everyone here is an innocent party.”

Ridley leant across the table, 

“Don’t you think we all want to get out?”

He shrugged, eyes roaming around the room, 

“Don’t you think everyone here deserves to live?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, sinking down as a few people looked around, “But if one died to let the rest of us get out… surely that’s a win?”

“No.” 

 

Her shoulders fell and she had to shake her head at him in disbelief, 

“What about the greater good?”

He scoffed, sitting back in his seat. She leant forward, frowning at him, 

“What?”

He shrugged, 

“Nobody here needs to die. They want us to do this, then--”

“They won’t just let us go!” She exclaimed quietly, aware of watching eyes. Had he really gotten so blind?

“Yeah they will.”

As he spoke she saw his eyes and her confusion was answered. His words might have been saying one thing, but she could see his mind had entirely other thoughts. 

“There’s no way out of here,” He continued, “And I’m not risking anyone’s lives to try.”

She sighed, biting her lip for a moment before she spoke, 

“What about if I volunteered?”

 

His sudden change in mood was instantly palpable. She sat back as he leant forward, 

“I am  _ not _ putting you in any danger.”

“Why?” She shrugged, “What makes me so special?”

He glanced up, checking the guards before he whispered, 

“John wouldn’t let just anyone onto his ship,”

She leant down to meet him,

“So what does that matter?”

He sighed quietly, 

“He gave you his mother’s…” He trailed off but she knew what she meant, “You obviously mean something to him.”

She didn’t move as he covered her hand with his, 

“John’s lost enough people that are close to him, I  _ can’t _ put him through that again.”

 

She knew what John believed of their father’s disappearance -- how he vehemently blamed only himself for whatever had happened. Virgil had touched on the topic of their mother, enough for her to know how it had affected John. 

They were close, she knew, they had talked about the status of their relationship enough to be clear on where they stood. She hadn’t thought about it until then, so caught up in what had been going on around her, she had forgotten where she had been taken from in what circumstances. 

_ John’s going to be going mad.  _ She thought to herself. 

 

Looking back to Jeff, sha shook her head, 

“What if he already is?”

His smile was small but knowing as he shook his head, 

“Ridley, my family is stubborn. Trust me, taking you was the worst move they could possibly make.”


	7. Chapter 7

She held her chin high as she strode through the establishment, not bothering to look at each of the tables for whom she was looking for. The table was exactly where she had expected, with exactly the person she had been looking for sat in one of the seats. She paused at the side of the table, waiting for acknowledgement.

 

He was slow to sit back in the armchair, his face blank as he looked up to her,

“You found me.”

She smiled demurely as she took the seat opposite him, crossing her legs as she watched him, 

“It’s not hard to do if you know where to look,”

Leaning forward, she dropped her voice, 

“I need some help.”

 

His grin was far too wide as he sat forward to meet her, 

“I’m sorry Tanusha, can you say that again?”

Even through the thick layer of mascara, he could see her eyes harden. He knew that look, he’d trained her in that look when she had been young, and he knew better than to push. Leaning back again in his seat he waved for the waiter, 

“The same again and a…”

She twisted her chin as she matched his posture, silently questioning him before she spoke, 

“My usual.”

He nodded, 

“... and a Mai tai for the lady.” 

The waiter nodded and turned away, she watched his back for a long moment before returning her attention to the man sat opposite her. His hands were clasped in his lap as he watched her, eyes bright with questions even in the darkness of the room. 

 

The corner was secluded, away from enough of the crowds. She knew her Uncle well enough to trust that he wouldn’t sit anywhere near anybody he didn’t trust.

“Have you heard anything about disappearing astronauts?” 

If he was surprised by her question he didn’t show it. Her eyes went to the movement towards him, the waiter returning with their drinks. Both nodded their thanks, each taking a sip before returning to their quiet glares. 

“I can’t say I have.” He stated, turning the drink on the table, his eyes fixing on the emerald green liquid. Kayo had to resist the urge to pull a face, Absinthe had always been his drink of choice but to her it was foul. 

He smiled as he looked to her, raising an eyebrow, 

“What makes you ask?”

Her face was straight, he knew that she had long since mastered the art of giving nothing away. Still, he knew she would eventually give him something -- there was after all a reason she had gone to him. 

“Personal reasons.”

 

He had to sigh at her comment, shaking his head slightly in disapproval, 

“Oh Tanusha, do remember that I am your Uncle. You are quite welcome to share your reasons with me,” 

Her look was wary, but he sat forward anyway, 

“When did I last let harm come to your so called  _ family _ .”

He saw the way her look faltered but hid his grin of satisfaction. She had been there to hear and see him against their new enemy, when he had been the one to say that some things were too extreme. 

“So you accept it?”

He shrugged, sitting back again, 

“I accept that you’re past being impressioned by those around you, capable of making your own choices.”

Waving his hand he looked back to her, 

“But we have gotten off of topic… tell me what this is about missing astronauts?”

 

Kayo sighed, not wishing to give the information away, but if she were to win him around she knew that something would have to be given. 

“Does the name, Ridley O’Bannon mean anything to you?”

She watched him shift, his eyes turning thoughtful as he tilted his head in thought, 

“Captain of Global One isn’t she? Also the red head’s girlfriend,”

Kayo snorted as she sipped her drink, 

“I would use the term girlfriend  _ very _ lightly.”

“Well they’re obviously  _ more _ than just friends.”

She let it pass about him somehow knowing, they had worse enemies than the Hood and she had come to trust that he had given up on his games with them. Whilst he clearly  _ thought _ he knew something, Kayo knew better -- John and Ridley may have been in some relationship, but even she wasn’t clear on it’s parameters and just what the relationship was defined as. Not that she was one to question, close friends or lovers, it made little difference to her. 

 

“Ridley was taken whilst she was returning to Global One from Thunderbird Five,” She informed, watching his features, “I wondered if you may have heard anything?”

He nodded slightly, holding his hand up to stop her as he sipped his drink. She waited, watching as he took the smallest mouthful, swirling it like the foul mouthwash it was before he swallowed. It wasn’t until he had licked his lips that he looked to her again with a raised eyebrow.

 

“You  _ lied _ to me,” She snarled, “I just asked you--”

The finger he held up stopped her again, 

“You said disappearing, not kidnapped.”

He slid an envelope across the table, clicking his fingers as he withdrew his hand. The words were low, but clear enough for her to hear, 

“I hope this may bring you around from the idea that  _ I _ killed Jeff Tracy.”

 

She was about to question him, her mouth already halfway to forming a word. A crack and shattering of glass cut her off, screams sending her moving as smoke filled the room. She ducked, staying low between the tables, cursing the impossible heels Penny had forced her into as they crunched on the broken glass. Covering her mouth, she focussed towards the entrance. 

 

A pulse sent her flying, knocking her into the base of the bar. It was automatic to look for the source, only to find the table they had been sat at gone in fire and ash. 

Darting to the exit, she gasped in the damp air of the night cleaning her lungs from the smoke. She wasn’t looking down the street, in truth she hadn’t thought further than just getting out, but she couldn’t miss the pink vehicle headed towards her. It barely had to stop for her to slip into the back before the door was closed again and they were on their way. 

 

“H’is Miss Kyrano h’alright, m’lady?”

She hadn’t realised she had closed her eyes, taking another deep breath she looked to the woman sat next to her.

“I’m fine, thank you Parker.” She told him, reaching up to tug her hair from the tight bun, “We need to get back to the Island.”

The blue of Penelope’s eyes were full of concern, 

“What happened in there?”

Finally, Kayo could let the smile slip through. Part of her had expected it, all of her knew she had never been in any immediate danger. She knew her Uncle, and she knew that she was his weakness. He had his sources and she had hers. From the moment she had stepped in the door, she had been entirely in his hands.

“He knew exactly what we wanted.”

Penelope’s eyes widened further as she somehow twisted towards her more, 

“ _ How _ ?”

Kayo shrugged, that was an answer she knew she would never know. She reached into the neckline of her dress, down to her bra drawing out the envelope, 

“He gave me this.”


	8. Chapter 8

She didn’t hesitate at the group that looked up to her from the table. Each of the boys straightened as their Grandmother turned back from the plates she had been clearing. Alan set down the bagel that had been halfway to his mouth, glancing to Gordon before looking to the women again. 

Wordlessly she dropped the envelope to the table, waiting for their attention to return to her before she spoke, 

“I think you should take a look at that.”

 

John didn’t break the gaze as he reached forward for the envelope, 

“What is it?”

Kayo stepped forward, pulling out the spare seat and nodding for Grandma to sit,

“Please?” She prompted as the older lady hesitated. 

Looking to John as Sally sat down, Kayo folded her arms, 

“A present from the Hood.”

“Is that what happened to you?”

She didn’t turn at the disapproving note in Virgil’s voice, shrugging slightly before she responded,

“I wasn’t in any danger.”

The look he gave her was clearly unimpressed, but she was more interested in the cards John had spread out across the table. 

 

“What is this?” Alan frowned as he leant over John’s shoulder, “It’s all in code.”

John shook his head, rearranging the squares, 

“It’s not  _ in _ code, it  _ is  _ code.”

Shaking his head, Alan reached out to separate two cards, 

“But there’s bits missing,” He looked up to Kayo, “And what’s it for?”

John pushed back his chair, not waiting to hear Kayo’s answer as he collected up the cards, 

“Let’s go and find out.”

 

“What’s going on down here?” Scott frowned as he reached the bottom of the stairs with Jen, Luke in his arms. He turned to follow John as he darted up the stairs, but looked back to the rest of his family rather than following. Meeting Kayo’s eyes he sighed, 

“What did you find?”

She shrugged with her hands in her pockets, 

“Like John said, we’re going to find out.”

 

She watched as the family all followed John up the stairs, turning to Penny as she pulled the photo cards from her pocket, 

“Keep these safe would you?”

Nodding, Penny slipped them into her purse, 

“I still think you should let them see them,”

Kayo sighed, looking towards the stairs. She knew Penny was right, she didn’t doubt what the right thing to do was. It wasn’t fair to get their hopes up though. Just the reaction in their meeting with Colonel Casey had shown her how raw the nerves still were. 

Biting her lip she shook her head, 

“Whilst I trust the Hood with my life, I’m still less than convinced by just some photos he hands me.”

Turning towards the stairs she nodded for Penelope to go ahead of her, 

“Come on, they’ll be waiting.”

 

“Why?” Alan was snapping as the pair reached the lounge, “Why would it be  _ half _ of a code?”

John snorted, shaking his head, 

“It’s the Hood Alan, what do you expect?”

He looked back to Kayo with a glare, 

“What did he say?”

“Not a lot.” She stated, folding her arms as she looked up to the code running through a hologram, “I hope that’s secure.”

“Of course.” Eos responded, “I would not take liberty to  _ trust _ anything the Hood passed onto us,”

 

“Why would he give you half a code though?” Penelope looked to her in confusion. 

Keeping her eyes fixed on the scrolling code, Kayo shook her head slowly, 

“He wouldn’t just give us answers, we’ve got to work for it.”

“There does seem to be a pattern,” Eos stated, “I am attempting to isolate what I can and separate it out… however, I do have an incoming call for assistance in the French Alps.”

Scott sighed, shifting to hand Luke over. Virgil shook his head, 

“We’ll take it.”

Gordon straightened, looking over to Penny as Virgil began to leave. Her smile was gentle as she shook her head, 

“I’ll still be here when you get back.”

He grinned giving a mock salute before darting off after Virgil. 

 

Kayo settled back in the armchair watching the code as it scrolled, trying to work out exactly what the Hood was keeping from them. 


	9. Chapter 9

It hadn’t been a long rescue, but it had been cold and it had been hard. Gordon was still trying to rid his fingers of the cold ache as he headed down to the kitchen. The villa was otherwise quiet, the rest of the family long since asleep by the time they had arrived back. He had planned to do the same as his brothers and immediately crash into bed but the warmth of the shower hadn’t been enough to completely defrost him. No, he needed something that would defrost from the inside. 

If only John had been up to make what he could only describe as the best cocoa Gordon had ever tasted. 

 

He paused at the bottom of the steps into the lounge, raising an eyebrow as the soft blue tinge that lit the room. 

“Oh,” He stated, surprise getting the better of him, “You’re still up?” 

John looked up, blinking slowly with a sleepy sigh, 

“Huh?”

Gordon snorted as John rubbed at his eyes. He clearly had fallen asleep at the desk trying to crack the coding. 

“Geeze,” He teased, leaning on the wall, “You truly are smitten aren’t you?”

John wasn’t smiling as he rubbed his forehead, leaning on the desk as he sighed heavily. Gordon frowned, straightening slightly as he realised just how tight the lines on his brother’s face were.

“I don’t even know any more Gordon,” John murmured, finally looking up. Gordon was about to laugh again, about to make some comment on John knowing  _ everything _ . His brother looked lost though as he continued, 

“I have  _ no _ idea where she is, or what’s happened to her… and I’ve only just realised that perhaps … I dunno, it’s stupid.”

Gordon shrugged, stepping down into the den, perching on the central table, 

“Nah, feelings might feel stupid. We have them for a reason though.”

 

John couldn’t help the small scoff, his eyes heavy as he looked across to his younger brother, 

“Aren’t you meant to take the piss?  _ You _ the brother that got  _ all _ the feelings, and probably took my share--”

“You always did have a dry humour Johnny.” Gordon grinned as he cut him off. His smile fell as he tugged at the loose threads of his jumper, “But yeah, you’d probably get more sense out of Scott or Virg on the subject of feelings,”

John shook his head, 

“It’s just… she’s  _ gone _ and I feel, I dunno?  _ Lost?  _ No, not lost…”

Gordon didn’t comment that he looked, and sounded lost, he knew John would only push back against him. 

“It sounds stupid,” John sighed, rubbing his forehead, “But… it’s like … I just don’t feel like I’ve lost a friend. It’s like a part of me is just…  _ gone _ .”

 

Gordon had to hide the feeling of surprise that rose. He wasn’t going to put John off opening up, even when he wasn’t sure of what to advise.

“I thought you weren’t… that you didn’t like other people like that?”

John shrugged, not sure what to say just as confused as his brother. He  _ knew _ he didn’t feel attracted to Ridley’s body -- her quick wit and stubbornness to match his though, were perhaps a different matter. He had quickly learnt how strong willed she was, how she was constantly up for a challenge, and something about that drew him in. 

There was something about her that he had come to trust. He found himself gravitating towards her, talking to her more and more. When she had gone, had had come to realise that he wanted to be closer to her. For the first time, he had wanted to get to know someone more outside of his family. 

“It’s different with Ridley,” He murmured, “It’s like there’s something more… something different?”

 

Raising an eyebrow, Gordon leant forward, 

“You mean, you think you  _ like _ like her?”

John rolled his eyes, 

“Not like you like like Penny.”

Gordon waved him off with a grin, 

“Well nobody likes anyone like I like Penny!”

He tilted his head as he watched John, knowing the true reason for their conversation, 

“We’ll find her, hear me John? She’s a crazy, stubborn, strong woman, I know she’ll be fine.”

He stood with a sigh, 

“And once we’ve got her back, you’ve gotta talk to her! Tell her how you feel. She’s not stupid John -- geeze, she couldn’t be to put up with you so much -- she’ll understand.”

He turned to carry on towards the kitchen, intending to leave John to mull over his words.

 

“Hey Gordon,” John called before his brother could leave, “You do know I care, don’t you?”

Gordon hesitated, frowning at his older brother that was so unlike him. Maybe it was a running joke in the family about John being the oddball and detached. In the way his brother spoke to them daily though, the gentle guiding tones he used on rescues. That was enough for Gordon to know. 

“It’s just,” John started, “I know I probably  _ do _ spent too much time on five. And it’s not because I don’t care, okay? I know I don’t say or show it in the same way as the others, but I really do worry when you guys go out there and—“

“Yeah John,” Gordon cut him off scuffing his foot on the wood flooring, his smile twisted slightly in discomfort, “It’s okay, I know what you’re saying.”

And he did. For all he joked and mocked, he knew his family and he knew how must they  _ all _ relied on each other. None of them would be without the others, and Gordon didn’t need it to be said to know that. 

 

“Thanks Gordon,” John murmured, “For the advice I mean.”

He snorted, shrugging as he pointed over his shoulder, 

“I need to get a drink before Penny notices I’m gone and wants me to get one for...”

“I’m afraid you’re a bit late for that.”

She looked across to the man at the desk, raising an eyebrow at him, 

“Honestly, what on earth could Gordon be giving  _ you _ advice on?”

Gordon didn’t miss a beat as he folded his arms, 

“Women, Penny.”

Her shoulders fell as she sighed and looked to John pleadingly, 

“Please tell me you’re not taking relationship advice from him?”

Gordon gasped, a hand covering his heart as he stumbled backwards, 

“I am  _ wounded _ !”

John shrugged, smiling slightly as he looked to Gordon,

“He might talk a load of crap sometimes, but today, the boy talks sense.”

Penny shook her head, 

“It must be the lateness of the hour,” She looked between them, “Come on, to bed with the both of you.”

Both boys were grinning as they looked to her, 

“Yes Ma’am.”


	10. Chapter 10

 

He hesitated, his hand raised to knock but his thoughts getting the better of him. Did he really want to know the truth? Would he perhaps not be better off wearing his rose tinted glasses and believing that everything was fine?

_ No _ , He told himself, knocking before he could hesitate again,  _ The more you know… _

Before he could finish the thought the door was opened, Ridley raised an eyebrow as she stepped back from the doorway, 

“I would have assumed you’d have been resting on our day off?”

Jeff snorted as he stepped into the room, shrugging slightly as he glanced around, the space as bare as his own, 

“One day a month is enough to send a man crazy if he spends it doing the wrong things.”

 

Ridley stepped away from the door, going to sit on the bench that sufficed for a bed, 

“I’d offer you a drink, but I’m afraid there’s only water from the tap.”

Jeff chuckled slightly again, 

“Don’t worry, just because they have me as the supposed lead doesn’t mean I get special treatment,” He sighed, easing himself down against the wall, “I’ve not seen you since last week,”

She looked up to the ceiling, resting her head against the wall as she closed her eyes, 

“You were right, this place truly is a labor camp.”

Shaking his head, Jeff looked to the open door, 

“We can’t complain, not when others have had so much worse.” 

Ridley was slow to look back to him, thinking for a long moment before she nodded in agreement. 

 

They were silent for a long minute, each lost in their own thoughts triggered by the discussion. Ridley shook her head, clearing the thoughts as quickly as they had come. She refocused on the man sat on the cold stone of the floor across from her, 

“What brings you to my room?”

She didn’t miss his glance to the door before he reached into the pocket of his sweatpants, pulling out the object so it was just visible,

“John gave you this?”

She nodded quickly, frowning slightly in confusion. They’d discussed it before, Jeff knew that she had been  _ given _ the necklace. He knew that she knew it’s history. She didn’t understand what point there was bringing it up again. 

 

A word formed on his lips before it fell away again with a soft sigh. He tilted his head back, feeling the necklace in his pocket, smoothing his thumb over the smooth stone. 

“All I’ve seen of those boys…  _ my _ family, in the last four years is press photos, and occasionally one of their ships flying over,”

Ridley shifted, sitting forward as she listened. She knew Jeff had been missing for that long, she’d heard all of the boys’ stories. What she had failed to consider was what he had heard of his family in that time. She hadn’t considered that he may have heard nothing since the day that he had gone. 

It had never crossed her mind that he had perhaps been just as desperate as his family. 

 

He finally met her eyes, shaking his head as his eyes softened,

“How are they, Ridley? Really?” 

She hesitated, wondering if it was truly her place to say anything. In truth, she still felt like an outsider to the Tracy’s. They had accepted her as one of theirs, John had told her that a long time ago, but she could count on one hand the number of times she had met the entire family. She couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t her place to share some of the news that was no doubt Jeff’s right to know. 

 

“How’s little Allie doing?” He prompted, “I was meant to start teaching him to fly Three,”

Ridley laugh, grinning as she looked across to him not quite sure if he would believe that his youngest had not only mastered space flight, but been to the far reaches of the solar system. Again, she had to remind herself of how things had changed in just a few years. 

“I think you could say he’s mastered that skill,” She nodded, “I’ll let them give you the grey hairs about what he’s been up to.”

His grin didn’t reach his eyes, she could still see how heavy they looked. She had always been told that Scott had his father’s eyes but, at that moment she couldn’t see it. Scott’s eyes had always been bright and alert. The man in front of her though seemed to have lost that shine a long time ago. All she could see in his eyes were darkness, and it made her wonder if he’d given up hope of ever seeing them again. 

 

“From what I gather, Virgil’s the same as always,” She offered quietly, noting how that time his eyes seemed to glimmer slightly. 

“He always was the stable one,” Jeff murmured, “How about Brains? Are they still together?”

She nodded quickly, smiling, 

“Oh yeah, I don’t think anything’s going to split those two,”

He sat back, his eyes turning distant, but the spark still there as traces of a smile played on his lips, 

“I remember when he told me, he was  _ worried _ about telling me… and I hated myself for so long for not being…”

“Approachable?” Ridley filled in at his hesitation, recalling what John had told her. 

Jeff nodded, his fingers knotting together as his eyes turned distant, 

“They’re my boys Ridley,” He murmured, voice as lost as his gaze, “Whoever,  _ whatever _ , makes them happy, makes me happy for them.”

As suddenly as his gaze had gone, he snapped back to look at her, 

“And you and John? Friends? Or…”

 

She sighed, playing with the threads of the blanket as she shrugged, 

“We’re in a relationship,”

“Oh.”

His face had fallen again, his eyebrows dipped slightly in a way she was familiar with on John. She had to bite her lip to stop a smile as Jeff looked up again,

“Sorry, I just… I worried that he wasn’t… inclined in any way…”

“He’s not.”

He frowned again, and she knew that she was going to have to explain. It was a relatively new development for John, she knew he had only been exploring in the more recent years. Not that it had changed things all that much. 

Folding her arms she sat back, raising her eyebrow slightly in question, 

“Would it be a problem if he was?”

“Well, no… I just… he never reacted like the others did, and I just worried that it would affect him,”

Ridley shook her head, 

“Surely you know he isn’t the most social butterfly of the family?”

Jeff was quick to nod again, 

“Of course, he’s always had his head in his books and papers,” He swallowed, frowning again as he sat back, “I just worry about him being on his own. He might think otherwise, but he  _ does _ need company,”

“Just on his terms,” Ridley pointed out gently, “He doesn’t like to let just anyone in,”

Before he could answer again, she continued, 

“He has to trust people before he’ll get close to them.”

“And he trusts you?”

“I’m one of the few that he’s let in,” She murmured, bringing her knees up to her chest. It was something she had thought long and hard to try and get her own head around. At first, being on the opposite end of the spectrum had confused her. They had talked though, she had listened, and she had filled in the gaps. 

“He thought that nobody but his family could love him.”

Jeff’s voice was a low whisper as he replied, 

“I worried that was true.”

 

“ _ I _ love him,” She whispered back, “And maybe it’s not like Virgil and Brains, or Scott and Jen--”

“Jenny’s still about?”

Ridley laughed, nodding slightly,

“Yeah, you really shouldn’t be surprised,”

Jeff shrugged shaking his head, 

“Anything could have happened in the last few years,” He looked back to her, waving his hand, “But anyway?”

She sighed, 

“Maybe it’s not like any of their relationships, or even how your relationship was with John’s mother, but I promise you it’s just as meaningful.”

 

Both looked up at the figure that stepped into the doorway, clearly having been waiting for the end of the discussion as she looked between them, 

“Well, that is an unexpected truth.”

Jeff was quick to stand, hands balling into fists, 

“Apollo.”

She waved him off, eyes fixed on the other woman in the room, 

“I should have expected it,” She murmured, “We did find you leaving Thunderbird Five after all.”

 

Jeff’s skin ran cold that had nothing to do with the cool shade of the room. He was reminded of just how close they had come to taking his son. 

The outcome would have been very different had they had been successful.

 

“Bring her along, Nova, I believe we have much we can talk about.”

Ridley’s eyes jumped from one to another as Jeff stepped in front of her, 

“She has  _ nothing _ to do with this,”

The woman, Apollo, scoffed, 

“Jeff, darling, she is a link to your family, and  _ you  _ are still withholding the information we need for our final designs,” 

Apollo’s smile was sickly sweet as the man pushed past Jeff, grabbing her arm in an iron grip as he hoisted her from the bed. It was instinct to pull back, looking to Jeff for help. 

“Give me what I want to know, and no harm will come to the girl,” Apollo told him, “You know the deal, anything that happens here is on your head.”

 

Ridley scoffed, shaking her head slowly as she was pulled past the woman, 

“I don’t know what you’re planning, or what you need from him, but neither of us are going to give you  _ anything _ to help.”

She hardened her look as she twisted towards Jeff, getting a slight nod from him in response. 

Apollo snorted as she looked between them, 

“We’ll see about that.”


	11. Chapter 11

Gordon was pouting on the sofa opposite her, 

“Are you sure you have to go?”

She sighed, setting her purse down on the chair as she replaced a strand of hair to where it belonged, 

“I am a busy woman darling, you know I would love to stop longer.”

“Then do!”

 

Scott laughed from his seat on the floor, holding Luke in his arms and keeping a careful eye on Lucy as she crawled along on her stomach.

“Gordon, it’s not so simple as that,” He scolded his younger brother, “Look out Pen, incoming baby.”

She stepped back, smiling down to the little girl, 

“She’ll be beating you through assault courses before you know it, with a crawl like that!”

She turned at Grandma’s laugh, smiling as the older woman nodded, 

“Lucy said exactly the same to Jeff many a time.”

 

“They’re so adorable,” Penny sighed, smiling as she watched the little girl reach out to the strap of her bag dangling over the edge of the seat. 

Grandma laughed softly, 

“And into everything. I remember Virgil pulling a necklace off of Lucy’s table and bringing the whole jewelry box with him!”

 

John’s head snapped up at the mention of their mother, his mind instantly jumping through a series of memories. He frowned for a moment, before grabbing his tablet and opening up the camera log from Thunderbird Five. 

 

“They’ve been taking terror lessons off of Gordon and Alan,” Scott muttered with a smirk. 

“Hey!” Alan snapped, looking up from his gaming tablet, “I had nothing to do with it!” 

Virgil sniggered from his own seat, shaking his head, 

“Let’s not get into it.”

 

“Oh, watch…” Grandma reached out too late to stop the purse from being dragged down as Lucy tugged on the sparkling strap. The contents spilled across the floor around the baby, lipstick and tissues just new toys for her to grasp. 

Penny turned to the scene, gasping slightly as Grandma leant down to pick up the mess, 

“Oh Lucy,” She cooed as she picked up the things, “Look what a me--”

Time seemed to slow down as Penny went to grab the photos, knowing already that she was too late as the woman flicked through the small collection. 

“What…”

“Grandma?” Scott prompted, “It’s okay, it’s only…”

“What are these?” She looked up to Penelope, “Where did you get them?”

 

Gordon looked from one woman to another, scooting over towards his Grandmother to look over her shoulder. His eyes widened as he looked to the prints in her hands, the centre figure in each wrong but familiar at the same time. 

“Pen?” He looked up, taking one of the photos, “What the hell are these?”

“What is it?” Scott asked, setting Luke down before joining his brother’s over their Grandmother’s shoulder. 

 

He froze when they came into view, understanding coming like a wrecking ball as he looked across the splay of photos. Blinking once, twice, three times, didn’t change them… he was still seeing his father. 

But not as he remembered him. The Jeff Tracy in the images wasn’t the man they had all said goodbye to the last time they had seen him. His hair was almost entirely grey, frown lines deeper than Scott had ever expected them to get, but perhaps his weight was most shocking -- the barrel of a man broken down to just skin and bone under a plain tracksuit. 

“Dad?”

 

“What?” John looked up from the desk again, looking from his family to Penny, “What is it?”

“I can explain,” Penelope started, “Just--”

“What’s going on down here?”

Nobody moved at Kayo’s voice, making her hesitate halfway across the lounge. She looked to John, staring at Penelope who was looking between him and the rest of his family. It wasn’t until Virgil turned did she spot the photos in Grandma’s hands, 

“Did  _ you _ know about these?”

She looked to Penny, pursing her lips slightly before she nodded, 

“Yeah, the Hood gave them me.”

Scott turned, 

“And you were keeping them from us?”

 

“I didn’t know if they were real,” Kayo reasoned, “It could just be him taunting us!”

John shook his head, 

“We still had a right to know!” 

“It’s from the Hood!” Kayo snapped back, “I don’t trust him with facts,”

John held up his tablet, 

“But you trust this code he’s given us?”

“It’s a lead!” She growled, “It’s better than  _ nothing _ .”

 

“Hold up!” Grandma snapped over the pair of them. It wasn’t like her to shout, and it seemed to stun the room into silence as everyone looked to her, 

“What did the Hood say when he gave you these?”

Kayo swallowed, holding her chin up as she spoke, 

“That he hoped it would prove that he didn’t kill Jeff Tracy.”

Scott had picked up Lucy, holding her tight in his arms as he looked to Kayo, 

“So there’s a chance that Dad might be alive?”

She hesitated, dropping her gaze,

“Yes.”

 

Alan glared, 

“And the Hood told you this when you were asking about Ridley?”

She nodded slowly again, 

“Yes.” 

“So you might have been right when we were talking to Colonel Casey?” John prompted. 

“I…” She sighed, shaking her head, “I don’t know. Okay?”

Penelope stepped forward, 

“That was why we said nothing and kept them to one side,”

Her voice was gentle as she looked around the room, 

“We wanted to prove that they were real rather than get your hopes up for nothing, that was where I was going this morning.”

“Well  _ I _ could help with that.”

 

John looked up at the child-like voice, 

“Eos, do you think you could analyse them?”

“If you allowed me to scan them,” The circle of lights lit up in green, “Yes, I imagine I could.”

He looked to his family, nodding to the coffee table for them to put the images down. Whilst the images were being scanned he looked to his family, 

“Grandma, you said before about Mom’s jewelry?” 

She nodded, 

“Yes?”

“It got me thinking,” He murmured, opening up the image he had found, “I gave Ridley that necklace last christmas,”

Alan was frowning at it, 

“So? It’s just an old necklace?”

“No,” Scott murmured, shaking his head, “It’s a necklace that rightfully shouldn’t exist,”

Gordon waved his arm at the hologram, 

“Why? It obviously does?”

 

“What your brothers mean,” Grandma cut in, “Is that the stone in that necklace is partly made up from dust from Mars,”

“Oh,” Alan’s eyes widened, “You mean… Dad  _ stole _ space dust?”

“That isn’t the point,” John shook his head, “I gave that to Ridley,”

“So you said,” Virgil commented, “What’s the big deal?”

John swiped up a second hologram, 

“Space dust emits very low level, but very specific radiation,”

Scott frowned, 

“Enough to trace?”

John’s face fell slightly as he shrugged, 

“If you got within a couple of miles… potentially.”

“So if we can work out where they’ve gone,” Gordon filled in, “We might be able to track her?”

John nodded, pursing his lips slightly as Eos’ hologram returned. 

 

“I have analysed the images, and believe them to be genuine,” She spoke, “However, there is something more on them that has allowed me to complete the coding that the Hood gave us,”

John sat straighter, 

“What is it?”

“Coordinates.” 

The hologram changed to that of a map, showing nothing but plain blue.

“From my scans there is nothing there.”

John bit his tongue to stop a cuss. 

 

“You’re certain they’re genuine?” Kayo asked, stepping down to reach for the images.

“Yes.” The AI’s tone was sharp as her hologram flashed orange, “Quite certain.”

Picking out one image from the group, she held it up to the AI, 

“So, why is there a GDF flyer in the background of this image?”

Her question was met with silence as she set the image down again, 

“I think we need to have another word with Colonel Casey.”


	12. Chapter 12

Casey folded her arms as she entered the lounge, looking around the group,

“Whilst I’m always happy for an excuse to visit you all, what is so important that it can’t be discussed over a call?”

Kayo nodded to the sofas, 

“Val, I think you should sit down.”

“Whatever it is, I think I can take it standing,” She told the younger woman. Glancing up she smiled as the boys’ grandmother entered, 

“Sally, please, what’s going on?”

“Val, really,” She gestured to a seat as she set down the tray of drinks, “Sit down.”

 

She knew the older woman better than to argue with her, so took the advice. Crossing one leg over the other she raised an eyebrow, 

“So? What’s going to have me so shocked?”

Kayo bit her lip, glancing to the rest of the family before she held out the photos. She watched the Colonel’s face, crossing from confusion to surprise. 

“The Hood gave me them,” Kayo explained, “It’s been confirmed that they’re genuine.”

Her look hardened into something like distrust, 

“By who?”

“Eos.” 

 

Casey sighed, shaking her head as she flicked through the images, 

“Why would the Hood give you these?”

Kayo looked to the hologram behind her, 

“It was as part of a code that gave us these coordinates.”

Casey looked at the image, eyes narrowed as she thought for a long moment, 

“Central west Atlantic?”

Gordon nodded, 

“About a thousand kilometers west southwest off of the coast of Guinea.” 

 

Penelope stepped forward, changing the image on the hologram to one of the ones in Casey’s hands, 

“Aside from the obvious, what else do you see?”

Before the Colonel could answer she swiped the image, highlighting a specific object.

“Is that not a GDF flyer?”

Casey took a breath, nodding in admission,

“Well yes, it would appear so, but I can assure you there are no recent missions to that area that I am aware of.”

Penelope raised an eyebrow, 

“Not that  _ you _ are aware of?”

Casey shifted to stand, 

“I do not like the way you are questioning me, Lady Penelope,” She glanced around the room, “I’d appreciate it if you’d remember that I am on your side here.”

 

Scott stepped in, sighing as he shrugged, 

“We  _ do _ know, Aunt Val, we’re just confused and worried right now,” 

He gestured to the images, 

“The Hood gave Kayo these when she was enquiring about Ridley, we have a feeling they may all be linked.”

He sunk down to the edge of the coffee table, running a hand through his hair. Over the last twenty-four hours his mind hadn’t stopped spinning. Kayo had perhaps been right all along. 

 

Casey sat forward, eyeing the images again with the sigh, 

“I…” She hesitated, knowing things were about to blow up right in front of her, “... I did have a feeling,”

In the corner of her eyes she saw Kayo fold her arms, no doubt feeling slightly smug at the admission. Still she said nothing as Val sat back, 

“I told you that the astronauts have been vanishing for three years,” She met each of their gazes before finishing, “In truth it’s that we, the GDF, have  _ known _ about the disappearances for that long.”

Penelope drew her look from the boys, looking to the Colonel, 

“And how long do you think they’ve actually been gone for?”

Val tilted her head from side to side, weighing up exactly what to tell them for the least volatile reaction, 

“There are potentially some that are perhaps significantly older than the average age that have been gone for a longer period than first anticipated.”

 

“How old?” Scott murmured, rubbing his chin.

Val shook her head,

“We had reason to believe that their vanishing was not to be of sig--”

“How. Old?” Scott asked again, louder, firmer. Part of Val had to take a moment to register that it wasn’t Jeff snapping at her. 

“It was the team that orbited Mars, the mission before your father and Lee’s.”

She saw him swallow, the telltale sign he was about to snap as he shifted to stand, 

“So why was that of no significance? Why would you ignore people of your own age?”

She stood, leveling with him, 

“Because I was informed that they were not disappearances!” She snapped, “And I had reason to believe what I was told.”

 

“What?” John scoffed, “That they just  _ died _ ?”

Her face fell, eyes dropping as she looked away from the group, blinking hard, 

“Yes.”

The room was silent, she could feel all eyes on her. Everyone wanted to know more, but nobody seemed to know quite what to ask. 

“I was informed…” She started, swallowing again, licking her lips before she continued, “... That they had died, either of natural causes or killed themselves.”

“Why would they though?” Alan asked, “All of them, from one mission?”

Val took a breath, looking to the youngest, 

“We didn’t have the technology you do now, we didn’t have that protection. I assumed that it was down to that lack of protection on the mission that caused it.”

 

“And who gave you the information?” Kayo asked quietly, refusing to meet Val’s eyes, “A colleague.”

She stood firm as she nodded once, 

“Yes.”

Penelope sighed as she looked around the group again, 

“So, someone’s using the GDF.”

 

Scott turned, needing space and air. He brushed past his brothers, jogging up the stairs to the hallway lined with bedrooms. His eyes fixed on the room furthest away, one he hadn’t been able to bring himself to go in for too long. Instead he turned to the left, following the newer hallway through the mountain of the island to bring him out in the modest penthouse. A space for the little family of his own to be close and have their peace. 

 

“Scott?” Jen turned at the sound of the door, setting down the tablet she had been reading on. Her eyes widened as he moved towards the door of the twins’ room, 

“Scott, I’ve just got them off…” 

He hesitated with his hand on the handle. Looking back to her he shook his head, 

“Dad’s alive.”

 

She took his hand, drawing him away from the door and out onto the balcony. On their side of the island the gentle breeze was a constant, cooling the air to a comfortable heat as they stood out in the shade. 

“Is that what Casey said?”

He shook his head, gripping the railing as he looked down into the jungle, 

“No.”

She tilted her head watching him as he rocked himself slightly, 

“So what makes you believe it?”

Tears had streaked his cheeks in the time it took him to look up, sniffing slightly, 

“I told myself I’d given up on him,” He sucked in a deep breath, holding it before he continued, “I don’t think I ever believed myself though, and now… now everything they’re saying is just… and the photos…”

 

If Jenny was truthful with herself, she had been expecting the outburst. She’d been waiting on it since she had seen the photos herself. The photos may have been genuine, the evidence may have all been pointing in one direction, but she knew one thing was missing for the family to believe it all. 

They were all waiting to see him in the flesh. 

 

“You’re exhausted,” She whispered, “Your brain hasn’t stopped for the last week, you and the others,”

“But…”

“You need rest,” She insisted, “Scott, you won’t be fit to do anything until you  _ stop _ .”

“She’s right Scott,” An authoritative voice added, making them both turn. Scott turned, swiping at his cheeks as he shook his head, 

“Sorry for running off.”

She shook her head, holding an arm out to him, 

“I’m sorry,” She sighed, “I’ve said to your brothers, I should have been straight with you from the start.”

Scott accepted the hug, holding on tight to his Aunt as he sniffed, 

“What are we going to do?”

“We’ll work something out.”

 

She pulled back from him, holding his shoulders. Maybe he had his own little corner of the island with his own little family, but she didn’t need to listen to private conversations to know that when it came to his father, he was still a lost boy. 

“I’ve sent all your brothers and Kayo off to rest,” She told him, “I expect you to do the same tonight.”

Jen nodded, stepping forward to squeeze Scott’s hand, 

“Then tomorrow, we plot.”


	13. Chapter 13

Her head was throbbing where it had hit the hard stone of the floor too many times. Each breath caught in her throat as she spat the blood that had gathered in her mouth.

Wiping her lip, she looked up to the woman, shaking her head, 

“I don’t  _ know _ .”

Apollo tutted as she paced the wall, 

“I’m sure you do, after all, you  _ did _ tell Mister Tracy that you’d been on board his son’s ship.”

Ridley pulled herself up, wincing as she shifted and her chest tightened. She had to pause for breath before she could speak, 

“I told you, that doesn’t mean I know!”

The look on Apollo’s face told Ridley exactly what she already knew -- she wasn’t interested. 

As the woman turned away, she nodded to her guards, 

“Hang her up.”

 

Eyes widening, Ridley struggled against their grip, kicking and flailing the best she could with bound arms. She gasped and winced as they pulled her arms up into position, hooking the rope that bound her hands to a clip suspended from the ceiling. Her feet flailed for a footing as she was hoisted up, the balls of her toes just able to reach the stone of the floor.

“I hope you’re comfortable.” One of the guards sneered as they stepped back.

She glared as they watched her, 

“Just a pillow and I’ll be grand!”

The laughed as they turned to the door, and her eyes widened, 

“No!” She shouted, “You can’t leave! Don’t leave me here!”

Losing her footing she cried out as her weight hung on her arms, 

“Wait!” She yelled in a last desperate attempt, “I’ll tell you something!”

 

***

Jeff stood as the door opened, hands clenching at his sides as Apollo stepped in. Remaining quiet, he glared as she smiled sweetly to him, 

“Still not going to talk? Even for the life of the girl?”

He shook his head in a slow movement, keeping his eyes fixed on her. Maybe he had only known the woman for a matter of weeks, but he could already tell what Ridley was like. Added to the look she had given him as she had been dragged away, he knew she wouldn’t appreciate him talking for her benefit. 

“She knows nothing, why should you bring her into this?”

 

“She’s dating your second eldest, is she not?”

He shifted slightly, 

“It’s not quite so simple.”

Apollo shrugged, strolling around the small space, 

“Still, you said yourself what it would crush him to lose someone else so close,”

He said nothing, knowing it was true but not daring to confirm it. It would only be giving her more ammunition if he did. 

“All this is on your head, Jeff.”

He shook his head again, 

“So be it.”

 

She turned as the door opened again, raising an eyebrow as the guard stepped over to her, whispering something in her ear. Apollo grinned as she looked to him again, raising her chin in triumph,  

“Not to worry Jeff, she’s already singing like a bird.”


	14. Chapter 14

She shook her head as she stepped out of the rain into the familiar hangar. Slamming the flimsy corrugated steel door behind her, she looked up and down the length of the building. It still smelt of oil and sweat, as it always had done. 

And as always, in the hangar that was meant for a plane was a car. 

 

“Lee Taylor,” She announced herself, “Do you ever change?”

There was a rough texan laugh as he pushed himself out from under the car, grinning up to her, 

“Well, I’m surprised you could even find your way here,”

She shrugged, hopping up onto the workbench, 

“I’m beginning to wonder if you ever left.”

He chuckled again, using the car to pull himself up, 

“You should know where I’ve been all these years.”

 

She picked at the splinters on the bench, choosing not to voice how he had loved his space station more than her. Instead she looked to him, chewing the inside of her cheek as she sighed,

“I need to call in a favour,”

Lee scoffed again, folding his arms as he leant on the bonnet of the car, 

“I think you’ve called in enough of those over the years.”

“This one involves Jeff.”

“Jeff’s dead.”

 

Val raised an eyebrow, 

“Do you really believe that?”

He shook his head at her, 

“You know as well as I do, Jeff Tracy wouldn’t leave his family behind without explanation,”

Val sat forward, her voice low, 

“What if he didn’t leave by choice?”

An overgrown eyebrow raised, 

“What on earth would have you saying that?”

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him, 

“Listen carefully…”

 

*

By the time she was finished, Lee was sat back against the tyre of the car a pair of empty bottles by his side, and a third about ready to join them. He chuckled as he sloshed the liquid around, shaking his head in disbelief, 

“We got up to some mischief in our time, don’t you think we’re a little ol’ for all this now?”

“Nonsense!” Val exclaimed, still on her first bottle, “Come on Lee, this’ll be your chance to get one up on Jeff!”

He laughed, the noise crackling as he leant his head back, 

“Or rather, Jeff once again prove that he don’t need saving by anybody.”

 

Val’s face fell as she watched her own drink, 

“You know that’s not true, how many times have we saved his sorry ass?”

Lee held up his hand, fingers spread wide, 

“More than I can count on one hand!” 

She grinned again, looking around the cavernous space, the lights where they sat barely reaching the far corners. So many long nights had been spent in that space, rain hammering on roof, or crickets echoing outside. She hadn’t realised that she missed things being simpler.

 

“We’ve had some good times, haven’t we?” 

Lee grunted, swigging the last of his beer, 

“According to you, there’s more to be had,”

Only the corner of her lip quirked up in a smile, 

“So you’re in?”

 

“Ah,” He sighed, “Breaking into some secret facility, giving Jeff the scare of his life, and breaking back out again? Sounds too much like our teenage years to pass up on.”

He looked to the empty bottle, sighing as he set it down with the others, 

“But perhaps it should wait ‘til we’re sober.”


	15. Chapter 15

“T-tracy Island to Colonel Casey?” Brains glanced from the comm his recordings, shifting his glasses up his nose. His focus snapped back to the call at the Colonel’s quiet response,   
“Reading you Tracy Island,”  
He didn’t know why he hesitated, he knew he had no reason to do so. For a moment, the enormity of the situation seemed to swallow him though. Spotting a serial code had been luck, matching it had taken skill, tracing it had been hard. His inventions meant life or death on a daily basis, but his family were relying on him to identify the ship for a much greater reason.   
“The flyer of interest has just landed.”  
He heard the pause, glanced across to Gordon and Alan as he waited for a response suddenly doubting himself.   
“Now?” Casey eventually asked, “They’re not due until tomorrow, we haven’t--”  
“What’s going on?” Scott’s voice cut in, “Is there a problem?”  
“The flyer’s come in early.”   
“Are we ready?”  
Casey sighed down the line,   
“We’re going to have to be.”  
Alan stood, folding his arms as he looked to his Grandmother stood on the edge of the den,   
“Will it still work?”  
She shrugged, looking to the hologram with her lips pressed tightly together,   
“I don’t know Kid.”  
“Oh will y’all stop fussing?” A rough texan voice cut in. Casey sighed again,   
“Lee thinks he’s ready.”  
There was a scoff,   
“What’s so hard about it? I go and talk to them there kids about how amazing the Mars mission was, let these lunatics kidnap me and then let you do the rest.”  
Val’s voice was sharp in response,   
“And do not give the game away!”  
“Captain Taylor,” Kayo cut in, “Please remember how important this is. We don’t know where they might take you or whom you might find there,”  
There was another soft laugh,   
“I think you all know who you’re expecting to find there… and I’ll do my damndest to keep up with those expectations.”  
“Gordon, Alan, be ready to launch as soon as we’re back,” Scott stated, “As soon as Thunderbird Two is refueled we’ll launch and follow Thunderbird Shadow.”  
Gordon looked across the room,   
“We can’t go ahead with plan A now, can we? The GDF haven’t had time to vet a team--”  
“I’ll sort it,” Casey cut in again, “I’ve got a couple of people I trust, we’ll meet you there.”  
“So,” Scott announced in the sharp tone he used for instructing, “Once Captain Taylor is taken, Kayo is going to follow in Shadow. As soon as we have Gordon and Alan, we will follow on--”  
“I’m coming too.”   
Scott’s sigh was loud down the line,   
“Jen…”  
“Don’t Jen me,” She tutted, “Your Grandmother already offered to babysit,”  
“The extra pair of hands will come in useful.” Grandma nodded in agreement, choosing not to mention that a fresh set of eyes could help in the situation.   
Scott didn’t respond, instead continuing as if he hadn’t been interrupted,   
“Two will follow on as soon as Shadow has a location. We get in and out as soon as possible, find whoever we can and get them aboard Casey’s ship or Thunderbird Two.”  
His hesitation to start his final comment allowed the Colonel to cut in,   
“Expect hostiles, don’t fight if you can help it but be prepared to do what you need.”  
Jen pursed her lips, glancing around the room before she cleared her throat,   
“Thoughts on weapons?”  
She had expected Scott to protest, to argue and shout. His silence seemed promising as Casey sighed,   
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they had their own, you might as well make it a fair fight.”  
Across from her, Jen saw Gordon’s shoulders square as his eyes darkened,   
“You said it Colonel.”   
Jen nodded to him, a trace of a smile twitching the corner of her mouth as he nodded back in agreement.  
She looked back to the hologram,   
“Good luck Captain Taylor.”  
“I don’t need luck!” He called along the line, “Whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen.”  
“Nonetheless,” Grandma shook her head, “We dragged you into this Lee, we’ll get you out of it again.”  
“Well that I would appreciate, but if you’ll excuse me I have a show to put on!”   
Val watched him as the call cut off, he strolled around to her desk picking up the pill with an easy smile as if to say nothing were wrong. She shook her head at him, watching him swallow the tablet with ease,   
“You will be careful, won’t you?”  
He scoffed in a way only Lee Taylor could, shrugging as he set the glass of water down,   
“Ain’t I always careful?”  
She tried not to look at him, not wanting her true thoughts to show through as she shrugged,   
“I’m not sure about your definition of careful.”  
Don’t go.  
He shook his head, attention turning to the globe in the centre of the room,   
“I’ve spent enough time lookin’ after myself, I think I can manage this.”  
She schooled her face to neutral, not giving away the anger of her thoughts,   
I didn’t ask you to go and live alone on the moon.  
“Colonel Casey,” Brains spoke in her ear, “I’ve tracked the team from the flyer, they are about to turn onto your hallway.”  
She adjusted the bud in her ear, looking to Lee as she nodded,   
“You’re up.”  
He grinned, turning to the door,   
“It’s show time.”  
She followed him, grabbing his arm as she pulled the door open, all but throwing him out as she closed the door again. He was shouting something, but she had tuned out.   
Just please be okay.  
Brains’ words weren’t a reassurance as she leant up against the door,   
“Th-they’ve t-taken the bait


	16. Chapter 16

Apollo looked up at the knock on her door, turning with folded arms and a raised eyebrow, 

“Come in.”

She straightened at the pair that stepped in, the pair of GDF officers that she had won over with promises of money, control, and power. They were meant to have returned to their base for the rest of the week, only to return on the following Friday. 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Ma’am,” The taller of the two nodded in greeting, glancing to his partner before continuing, 

“I know we’re early but--”

“There is a  _ reason _ you were meant to be gone,” she growled, stalking around the desk, “Do you know how carefully I planned your coming and goings? Do you  _ not _ realise the reason for that?”

He nodded again, 

“Well, yes, Ma’am but--”

“You’d better have a good reason.”

 

“We are aware, Ma’am, that we were meant to bring in the Tracy boy,” The shorter officer nodded, “But we came across someone whom we felt may be more beneficial.”

Both pursed their lips, glancing to one another at her raised eyebrow,

“Who could possibly be more beneficial than John Tracy?”

They shuffled slightly, eyes avoiding hers. 

“Who!?” She snapped at their silence. 

The taller one scratched his head, 

“Well, he was on the first Mars landing so we thought--”

“You brought me that  _ lunatic!? _ ”

 

They had the decency to move back and duck their heads at her cry. There had been a reason she had gone for the great Jeff Tracy, and not his loony sidekick. It wasn’t of any benefit to her to have him in her grasp, for the pair to return early and risk exposure. 

“Are you both idiots?” She shouted, “Did you never think that there was perhaps a reason?”

She turned to her comm panel with a huff, reaching out to hail Nova, 

“Nova,” She snapped, “I need you here _ now. _ ”

He sighed, 

“On my way, Apollo.”

 

She turned back to them, picking up the ornate letter opener and balancing it on her finger as she spoke,

“Where is he now?”

Their smiles were confident as both straightened, 

“Still on the flyer Ma’am, we weren’t gonna let him loose on the base, huh?”

Apollo knew the importance of being clear, why facts needed checking and confirming. It worried her to ask 

“Tied up I presume? Handcuffed to the hold or something?”

The immediate fall of their faces told her all she needed to know. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear their responses, 

“Well, y’see Apollo, the guy’s got arthritis. He said that cuffs would hurt him more…”

The letter opener flicked from her wrist, flying silently through the air between the goons piercing the wall next to the door just as it opened. 

 

Nova looked unsurprised as he looked to the vibrating opener, raising a slight eyebrow as he looked back to his partner, 

“Apollo?”

She straightened, 

“Fetch Astrid, and then Tracy,” She growled stepping around her desk, “Meet us in the hangar.”

He nodded quickly, 

“Right away.”

She looked back to the Goons, 

“Let’s hope for your sake that the loon isn’t smarter than you.”

 

*

Jeff looked up at the movement on the other side of the glass partition, 

“Ridley?” He murmured, “You awake?”

She huffed, and he saw her swallow before she whispered, 

“Yeah,” Her eyes slowly blinked open, “What time is it?”

“Noon,” He told her gently, “You’ve been asleep all morning,”

He could see she was pale, her eyes a dark contrast as she closed them again. It was from his Air Force training, many years ago that he remembered just why torture left victims so exhausted. 

Naturally, there was the pain and sleep deprivation. Ridley had been starved though, and her hydration had gone from one extreme to another thanks to Apollo’s attempts to get either of them to say more. He didn’t even want to think about what else they might be able to do -- stress positions, beatings, and drowning were bad enough. 

 

“I’m sorry,” 

He had to look again, not sure he had heard her correctly, 

“What on earth are you apologising for?”

She was quiet for a long moment before murmuring again, 

“I told them that John would be on the GDF base,”

He frowned, knowing that her statement wasn’t true. None of his boys believed that a GDF base was safer than their own home, at least they hadn’t the last he had heard. 

“Don’t apologise,” He shook his head, shifting closer to the partition, “Ridley, it’s okay,”

She sniffed and he could see something glinting in the corners of her closed eyes, 

“Please, don’t say anything to them? Don’t give them anything?”

He nodded, 

“I won’t, not until you tell me to.”

The corner of her mouth twitched in a smile, 

“That won’t be any time soon.”

 

Both looked up as the door opened, Nova stepping in. His eyes were straight on Jeff, completely disregarding Ridley on the floor. 

“With me, Tracy.”

Jeff looked back to Ridley as he stood, seemingly reminding Nova that she was there. He snorted and shook his head, 

“Don’t worry, it’s her day off today. We’ve brought someone else for you to meet.”

A strangled noise came from Ridley, making Jeff look back to her again. His mind had instantly jumped to the same explanation. 

“It’s alright,” he murmured to her, “I’ll make sure our new guest is safe.”

Nova laughed as he took Jeff’s arm and practically dragged him from the room.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Lee grinned as three people approached his seat on the flyer, 

“Oh, I was beginning to think you’d left me for good,”

He nodded to the lady in the lead, 

“Captain Lee Taylor, at your service!”

Her eyes were narrow as she watched him, 

“What have you done whilst we’ve been gone?”

He shrugged, 

“Had a bit of a nap actually, might have been the second man on Mars but jet lag still gets to me… you know what I mean?”

She shook her head, 

“I don’t believe you.”

He looked around, 

“I’m not sure why not.”

 

“Ma’am,” A second woman approached, pushing past the two men that had brought him, “Nova asked me to come?”

The first woman turned, 

“Astrid,” She nodded, “I need you to arm weapons and turn shields to maximum, I think we may have a leak, thanks to these buffoons,” 

Astrid glanced to the pair of men, nodding slightly, 

“I’ll have to sacrifice power supplies to do so Apollo,”

Apollo nodded, 

“Divert it from the building hangar, they can manage without in there.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

 

“Apollo,” Another man announced himself from outside the flyer, “Where do you want us?”

The woman looked to the pair of men and nodded to Lee, 

“Fetch him.”

Lee pushed himself up, 

“No need, I might be old but I can still walk.”

Her glare had the pair taking his arms anyway. 

 

They guided him down the ramp out into the hangar. He had to grin at the figure stood quietly with his arms behind his back,

“Well I’ll be blown,” Lee commented, “Look what the cat dragged in.”

This got a smile from the man who shook his head, 

“Technically, you’re the one being dragged in, Taylor.”

“Quiet!” Apollo snapped, glaring between both, 

“Nova, take this one and strip search him, then take the pair of them back to Jeff’s cell and shut them in.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

She glared at the pair that had relinquished their hold on Lee, 

“You two come with me, and we’re going to have a conversation about the consequences of this.”

 

*

Jeff shrugged off Nova’s grip as he stepped into the cell, glaring at him as he shoved Lee in after him. He sighed as the door slammed closed, looking to Lee with a smile, 

“Really? Of all the witty remarks in the world, you come up with ‘Look what the cat dragged in’.”

Lee snorted, moving to sit on the bed with a huff, 

“Well I can’t say I was exactly  _ expecting  _  you to be here. You’ve got a knack for disappearing and avoiding your best friends Jeff.”

 

He stuttered, mouthing dropping as he folded his arms. A comeback failed him as he shook his head, 

“Really? Well this is some reunion. I wasn’t expecting a cake and party but a ‘good to see you’ might have been nice!”

 

Lee scoffed sitting back as he looked to Jeff. He knew he was being childish and petulant, but all the old frustrations has risen to the surface as soon as he had laid eyes on his old friend. Frustrations that his closest friend had left and not come back, not tried to call for help, had seemingly just given up. 

“Well it would have been nice to know you were  _ alive _ ,”

Jeff rolled his eyes, 

“Do I  _ look _ like I had the means?”

Lee’s arm shot out towards the door, 

“Well I ain’t seen much of this place but it sure looks like there’s the means here to get some message out!” He shook his head at Jeff in disgust, “You’re not the Jeff that came to the Moon with me.”

 

If he hadn’t have been stood against the wall, Jeff would have taken a step back. Instead, he stuttered,

“What? Lee-- I--- You have no idea what I’ve been through these last four years!”

There was another rough scoff as Lee sat forward, 

“I know you’ve given up,” His finger jabbed the air between them, “I thought you were loyal to your family, maybe not to me and your other mates, but certainly to your family.”

“I’ve always been loy--”

 

Lee laughed, dark and low as he sat back again,

“Alfie was the only thing that was ever loyal to me, and even he gave up eventually.”

“Bull!” Jeff exclaimed, pushing himself from the wall, “I called you every week!”

He folded his arms as he uttered, 

“Yeah, ‘till you vanished off the face of earth,”

“Not by choice!” Jeff snapped in exasperation. He sighed, crossing to sit next to Lee dropping his voice as he dropped down to the bed “I was  _ taken  _ Lee!” 

A noise of dismissal was the only answer he got as Lee avoided his gaze. Jeff picked at a thread on the end of his t-shirt, eyes flicking towards Lee as he smirked,

“Besides, Val was still around for you.”

 

Lee let out a short bark of laughter, looking straight ahead as he answered,

“Oh sure, because I can rely on mrs big shot colonel of the GDF who’s always--”

“Would you shut up?” Jeff cut him off, patience snapping off as he looked to his oldest friend in disbelief.  He swung his leg out, kicking Lee’s shin for his attention,

“And stop talking so much shit! I am not your go-between okay? The pair of you need to stop venting to me about one another and just admit to yourselves that you both love each other.”

Lee grumbled to himself, 

“Do not love her.”

Jeff threw up his hands, at a loss of what else he could say, 

“You are more petulant now than Scott was as a kid.”

 

He could guess at the problem, putting parts together from things he had heard. It was probably safe to assume that Lee had been one of the last to find out about his disappearance, and he knew that would hurt. If their positions had been reversed he would have been just as frustrated. 

And maybe, whilst he had been at home he could have called more. Hell, he could have even paid a visit if he had gotten his act together. 

Lee would never admit it, but he was sensitive and much like Gordon he hid hurt and disappointment under his humour. Unlike Gordon though, there would always come a point where Lee boiled over.

 

He sat straighter, looking to Lee properly with a sigh, 

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t come up to Alfie as much as I promised I would. I  _ did _ call though, you know that don’t you?”

Lee muttered some sort of confirmation, so Jeff continued, 

“As for Val, she never stopped asking about you! The pair of you are just too damned stubborn to admit what you’re feeling.”

He nudged his friend, grin playing on his lips, 

“And when we’re out of this mess, you’re going to grow a pair and go and talk to the woman.”

Lee hummed, looking up and around them, 

“If we get out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Lee sighed, “This wasn’t part of the plan.”

Jeff raised an eyebrow, having expected that Lee wasn’t simply there by chance, 

“So there is a plan?”

Lee laughed, nudging Jeff’s shoulder back,

“You’re not the only one that can come up with stupid, idiotic ideas!”

Jeff laughed softly at Lee’s comment, knowing that whilst it was take time, they were headed on the road to forgiveness.


	18. Chapter 18

Kayo adjusted her instruments, checking out of her windows to look below her that the island that was  _ definitely _ there. Except on her instruments it wasn’t. 

“Tracy Island, are you getting this?”

“N-negative Kayo,” Brains answered, “Your c-cameras are showing an empty area of ocean.”

She shook her head, reaching out to her instruments again,

“Trust me, I have eyes on an island right below me,” She frowned, “It must have some cloaking device.”

“H-hang on.” Brains told her. 

 

“Thunderbird Two, Colonel Casey how are you doing?”

“My ship is tailing Thunderbird Two,” The Colonel answered, “We’ll be about fifteen minutes behind you.”

“We’re on our way,” Scott responded, “What’s this about a cloaking device?”

Kayo shook her head as she swung around the island again, moving away to watch from a distance, 

“It’s not coming up on any scans.”

“Affirmative,” John chipped in, “Not even a current scan from Thunderbird Five is showing any land masses in your area.”

 

Kayo shifted in her seat, examining the structures on the island, 

“I see three main buildings and a runway, should I try to land?”

She knew Scott’s answer before he spoke, 

“Negative, there might be hostiles.”

She sighed, 

“What if I went into invisibility mode?”

“It might give us some much needed information,” Casey pointed out, “If you wanted to Kayo.”

She smiled slightly as she assessed the situation, 

“You guys aren’t that far out…”

“Far enough out,” Scott countered, “Wait for backup Kayo.”

“I h-have to con--co--  _ agree _ ,” Brains interrupted, “I’ve been using your s-systems Kayo to analyse the a-area, it seems there is n-not only a c-cloaking device, but also a d-disruptor system.”

 

Kayo looked to the holograms, 

“Can you see it now?”

Brains nodded slightly,

“M-more than I c-could, though the i-image is d-distorted.”

The frown on his face deepened for a moment before his eyes widened, 

“G-get out of there Kayo! I’m detecting a large increase i-in power t-to one area of the b-buildings!”

She didn’t need warning twice as she tugged her controls, Scott had been right, they were armed.

A flash caught the corner of her eye as Thunderbird Shadow swooped through the air, arching away from the island. Swinging around she looked for the source of the laser,

“Basic laser weapons,”

“You think you can disable them?” Casey asked.

“Not from here, and if either of you get too close you’ll be fried, you’re not agile enough for dodging them.”

She checked her flight settings, 

“I’ll have to disable it from the inside before anyone else can get near.”

“T-the m-machine is recharging,”

“Perfect.”

“Kayo--” Scott started to warn.

She had already dropped though, Thunderbird Shadow taking her as far down as possible before she ejected her seat, sending the ship back up to be tracked by the laser.

 

It was peaceful as she glided through the air, comms silent as she dropped down towards the land. She touched the side of her helmet, altering the readouts popping up on her visor. Shifting her balance moved her around to the overgrown area at the back of the building she was certain the laser had come from. 

A second flash through the air towards her ship confirmed her suspicion as she deployed her wings.

“Kayo, we saw a second fire, are you okay?”

She was quick to respond, not wanting to stress those at the other end of the line, 

“I’m fine,” She responded, “You need to back off, you’ll be well in that things range if you can see it.”

Casey laughed across the line, 

“You’d best hurry up and disable it then!”

Kayo grinned as she shrugged, 

“Careful, Scott will be telling you off for encouraging me.”

 

*

Lee looked up at the loud clunk as the lights went out. 

“That’s not meant to happen,” Jeff murmured, bones cracking in the darkness as he stood. Before he could reach the door it banged open, a bright torch shining in their faces. Jeff stepped back, shielding his face from the brightness. 

“Confirmed Apollo,” Nova spoke, “They’re still here.”

“Bring them to me.”

 

Jeff lowered his arm,

“You think  _ we _ did this?”

Nova shrugged as he stepped in, nodding to the door, 

“No, I  _ know _ you didn’t.”

Jeff looked back to Lee in confusion. He had expected it all to be part of the plan, that someone on their side had been the mastermind behind the blackout. Lee simply shook his head in the torch light, stepping forward to follow Nova. 

With a sigh Jeff followed out into the darkness of the base, only able to follow by the light of the torch. 

 

The three walked in silence, their footsteps along the cold stone floor the only sound to be heard as they wound through the maze. Perhaps he should have been familiar with the corridors, after four years of walking them. Yet in the sudden darkness, he was sure he was lost as to where they were. 

Years of both Air Force training and parenthood allowed Jeff to differentiate their steps. He put it down to that that he was the only one to notice when three footsteps became two. Nova continued on, the torch still shining ahead the beam swinging slightly with each step. 

 

As they turned another corner, Jeff caught the sight of light under a door he vaguely recognised as Apollo’s office. His breath caught as the door opened and light flooded out into the hallway. Apollo stepped out, her eyes darkening,

“Where’s the other one?”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings may apply in this chapter for implied torture. There are no graphic descriptions but for readers that may find this uncomfortable please avoid the part below the three *'s

Scott sighed as he glanced across to Virgil, 

“She’s taking her time,”

John leant forward, 

“She’ll do the job properly.”

“I can hear you all you know?” Kayo chipped in across the comm, “Ever heard of patience?”

Virgil smirked as he altered his instruments slightly, 

“Can I start coming in yet?”

“Negative,” Kayo told them, “I told you not to get too close.”

 

“Now that would be wise advice,”

He felt his brothers freeze at the voice, his own hands stilling over the controls as he looked across to Scott. 

“Who are you?” 

The woman’s laugh was light, almost breezy before she responded,

“They call me Apollo.”

Scott looked back to John as he sensed his younger brother shift to stand, 

“What are you hiding?”

She laughed again,

“Oh, such foolish boys, aren’t you? Like I’m simply going to give away what I’ve got here,”

Scott felt the flare of John’s breath and knew that his grip on the seat had tightened without needing to look. Whether the woman was doing it intentionally or not, she was getting on every last one of John’s nerves. 

 

“We’re not here to take what you have,” Jen intervened before any of the boys said something she knew they’d regret, “Just the people you’ve kidnapped.”

“And who’s to say I’ve kidnapped anyone?”

Kayo’s snort cut through the line, 

“We saw your men take Captain Taylor.”

“Ah yes, my loons took your loon.”

Scott bit the inside of his cheek, stopping himself from snapping across the comm. He wanted to break the silence, tell her to give up and just let them take the victims home. All he wanted was to find out if their thoughts had been true. 

“I’m done with them anyway,” Her bored tone had him clenching his fists, “I had planned on disposal, but I suppose you can  _ try _ to save them all before the place blows.” 

 

“You’re going to kill innocent people?” John snapped, voice tight.

She snorted,

“Oh no dear, I’m simply getting rid of my witnesses,” She tutted, “Once my ship is clear I’ll let you land, that should give you about ten minutes. Good luck.”

 

Virgil could hear John’s teeth grinding as he turned to his instruments, 

“Colonel Casey, what do we do?”

“Stay put,” She ordered, but Virgil knew it wasn’t him she was telling, “I’ll have my people pursue, you do your job boys,”

Swallowing he nodded, 

“F.A.B Colonel, I’ll land as soon as we’re cleared--”

 

“That might be sooner than you think,” Kayo cut in, “I’ve picked up Captain Taylor, he’s showing me to the control room, we’re going to try to take down the systems from there.”

“Gimmie that thing, I wanna tell them somethin’,”

The brothers all looked to each other, none of them daring to ask the question.

“Is it on? Can they hear me?”

Scott swallowed, reaching out to the comm,

“Yes, Captain Taylor, what do you need to tell us?”

“Don’ you dare get distracted down here, alright? You boys got a job to do first and foremost and I’ll be disappointed if you don’t do your duty first.”

He felt the atmosphere around him change as his response caught in his throat. Coughing slightly, Scott nodded,

“Understood Captain Taylor, glad to hear you’re alright.”

The throaty laugh did little to ease the hurt he was feeling as the Captain responded,

“Don’ you worry about me boys. Just wait for our mark and get ready to land.”

Scott took a breath, as he looked straight ahead, “F.A.B.” 

***

He tensed his arms, testing the restraints as he was pushed into a seat, 

“Just give up Apollo,” He shook his head, “You won’t get away,”

She sighed as she watched her goons setting up the explosive charges, 

“I gave you four years Jeff, you could have told me at any time what I wanted to know,” She shrugged as she stepped forward, “Now, it’s too late.”

He scoffed, looking up to her as he shook his head, 

“I would have never told you, not for anything.”

 

Apollo shook her head at him, crouching to his level, 

“You know, I’ve restrained myself a lot this year. So has Nova,”

She reached up, her fingers brushing his overgrown hair back from his face, 

“But still you don’t cooperate.”

Her hand flicked, snapping hard against his skin, her nails catching his cheek. He didn’t need a mirror to know she’d drawn blood. 

“I always respected women,” He murmured, not caring if she heard or didn’t, “But  _ you _ ? I don’t think I could ever respect you.”

She stepped back, taking a box one of the goons handed her, 

“And here was me, thinking you might have learnt by now,” She grinned as she shook her head, “No, now both you and the girl are going to suffer and then one of you will die.”

She looked to the box in her hand, 

“Have you ever felt electricity?”

He swallowed as a clip was snapped onto the skin between his fingers. 

“No?” Apollo raised a eyebrow, “Well, this is what it feels like.”


	20. Chapter 20

Before Virgil had even powered down the engines, his brothers were moving. He stood from his seat, raising an eyebrow at Jen as she took her time,

“We’re on a timer here,”

She tucked the pistol she had brought into her waistband, he had been trying to ignore it since she had handed Scott a similar weapon on take off. Looking up to him she shrugged, 

“You’re the one always telling Scott not to rush,” She started, turning to follow the others through the hatch, “Kayo said Apollo was still here, she clearly wants us inconvenienced,”

The others were waiting as they joined them at the top of the ramp down from the module, Scott turned slightly towards them, 

“Apollo isn’t our priority.”

Jen shook her head, clipping her helmet into place before she spoke, 

“No, but if she gets in our way she will be.”

 

She saw them all wince as the voice spoke through their comms again,

“The girl speaks sense. You might have disabled my barrier, but you can’t stop explosives,”

Scott’s voice was tight as he spoke, 

“You won’t get away with this,”

“So you keep telling your enemies,” The woman sighed down the line, “You see, I really already have.”

Jen looked up at the shadow that fell above them, the GDF flyer coming in to land next to the Thunderbird. 

“I’ll be a good sport, you can save those locked in the building to your right,” 

At the mention Scott nodded to Gordon and Alan, pointing them off in the direction of the building Apollo had described. 

“Kayo,” Jen murmured as she also turned.

“I’m on my way,” Kayo confirmed, “Lee’s with me.”

 

Scott looked to his two remaining brothers, waiting for the woman to continue. After a moment, he knew she was waiting for him, 

“What’s the catch, Apollo?”

A gentle laugh that made him sick to his stomach was the only response for a second before she spoke, 

“You have three options, come after me, go after the girl you call Ridley,”

Scott had to reach out to stop John moving immediately, 

“Or?”

“I heard you came across some photos the other day… wouldn’t it be interesting to find out if they were real or not?” 

Her giggle was girlish before she added, “But remember, no being greedy, just pick one.”

Virgil looked between his two older brothers, dreading the answer but needing to know,

“What happens otherwise?”

“Boom.”

 

Before they had even processed the word, static filled the comm effectively ending the conversation. 

“Brains?” Virgil asked, “Did you get all that?”

“Y-yes.” The engineer responded, “And I’m g-getting a n-number of heat signatures from the building this woman d-directed you to… at a g-guess I would sat around t-twenty?”

“And what about elsewhere?” Scott asked, turning to look out to the other buildings, “Anything else?”

“A-affirmative, I am g-getting a n-number of signatures from b-both buildings,” He hesitated, “A-assuming from the p-pattern, I would guess they are g-guarding s-something,”

“Or someone,” John murmured. 

Scott nodded in agreement, 

“Colonel Casey--”

“I should say you boys rescue the civilians, however, I know you all better than that,” She cut him off, “Go and rescue the hostages, I’ll take care of the evacuation,”

“Gordon and I have taken the left wing of this building,” Alan informed them, “Colonel it would be appreciated if you could cover the other side?”

“F.A.B.” She responded, “We’ll be with you as soon as.”

 

Movement towards them caught Scott’s eye, making him turn with a frown as Kayo and Jen returned, 

“What--”

Kayo glanced over her shoulder, 

“They’ve got that building covered, we decided you three needed covering,”

“She’s probably right.” Virgil shrugged as Scott no doubt went to complain. 

Jen gestured towards the two remaining buildings, 

“You said something about a timer?”

“Okay,” Scott sighed, “Let’s go.”


	21. Chapter 21

John glanced down as Kayo reached across his front, stopping him mid step. He waited as she checked around the corner, murmuring as she nodded for them to continue, 

“You didn’t have to come.”

She didn’t glanced up to him as she walked, 

“Yes I did,”

He raised an eyebrow,

“Why?”

This time she did look up to him, a smirk playing on her lips as they walked, 

“For when you get emotionally sidetracked.”

“I--” He stopped dead, holding a finger up to Kayo as he listened, “What was that?”

Kayo nodded, 

“This way.”

 

He followed to the doorway, waiting for her to open it before stepping through,

“Ridley!” 

Even in the low light he could see she was deathly pale, and trembling on the floor where she lay.

“John?” she croaked, “No, you can’t be here. You gotta -- your dad he’s--”

“Hush,” He murmured, going to crouch by her, “It’s okay, Scott’s with Dad.”

_ I hope _ , He added in his head looking up as Kayo crouched by the box Ridley was tied to.

“Don’t move her,” She murmured, pressing her comm to open the channel, “I think I’ve worked out what Apollo meant by  _ boom _ ,”

John ignored the conversation as he reached to the ropes. He could hear each of her breaths coming in short shallow bursts as her eyes drifted,

“Your Dad--you--shouldda…”

As his fingers brushed her skin he winced, she was burning up, 

“We need to go,”

“We’ve got to wait,” Kayo countered, pointing to the area Ridley was sat on, “If she moves off of that plate your Dad goes boom. I have to cut this wire at the same time Virgil cuts the one at their end.”

John looked back to Ridley,

“Hang in there.”

 

*

“Doesn’t it unnerve you,” Jen started as they rounded a corner, “That all the guards are suddenly gone?”

Scott snorted, 

“Probably saving their own asses,”

Virgil glanced each way along the corridor before nodding in the direction of light shining under a door,

“That way,”

Jen nodded as she followed, tapping her comms, 

“Kayo, I think we’re in.”

“About time,” She sighed, “I’m waiting for your mark.”

 

Jen looked between the boys, stood at each side of the door, 

“Who’s going first?”

They both looked to each other, Virgil nodding slightly as Scott reached for the door handle. 

“On three we open the door?” She prompted. Both nodded, Virgil starting, 

“One,”

“Two.”

“Three.”

 

All three looked through the door at once, Jen felt both freeze at her sides at the sight. She swallowed glancing between them before looking back to the scene. 

 

Scott was first to move into the room, murmuring softly, 

“Dad?”

The figure in the shifted, eyes flickering as his head rolled to the side, 

“What? No-- no you-- the girl… Rid--Ridley…”

Jen rushed to the back of the seat he was in, following the series of wires to find the right one. She sucked in a breath as she pulled one from the bunch, checking it’s connections three times before touching her comm, 

“Kayo I’m ready,” She glanced up, “Virgil, mark us?”

He glanced to her, moving back from his father’s side, touching his comm, 

“Ready,” He glanced to Jen, sucking in a deep breath, “Mark.”

He flinched, waiting for something to happen. Maybe he’d been expecting an explosion, he wouldn’t have put it past the Apollo woman. He looked to Jen as she bowed her head, sinking back to the floor, her own relief just as obvious. 

 

“Virgil, are you needed there?”

Both looked to Scott, crouched in front of the seat hands working on the tight ropes and wires. The eldest’s face twisted as he shook his head, 

“Go.”

“We’ll meet you back at Thunderbird Two,” Jen told him, following him to the doorway they had come through, “I’ll make sure we get there sooner rather than later.”

“F.A.B.” Virgil nodded, glancing back for a moment. He’d hardly had a chance to look and truly realise that it was their  _ father _ sat in the seat. The dim lighting made it almost surreal, the fact that he had hardly had chance to just look made it even more so. If he couldn’t have heard his heart hammering in his chest, he would have sworn he was dreaming. 

He knew John needed him though, he wouldn’t drag him away from  _ that _ for nothing. In the next moment he had gone, jogging through the darkened corridors despite everything that was calling him back. 

 

Jen stayed in the doorway, hand on gun, expecting the worst. She glanced back to Scott, not wanting but needing to rush him,

“Two minutes and we move.”

 

Scott looked up, nodding once in confirmation before returning his attention to the ropes, 

“So, you got to meet John’s girlfriend huh?”

There was a choked laugh, as his head fell back, breaths slow and deep, 

“Is… is she okay?”

Scott shrugged moving to stand, 

“I dunno Dad, but John’s with her, and we’ve gotta get out of here,”

He slipped his arm under his father’s, 

“Ready?”

He gave a small nod, groaning as he was lifted, cursing quietly. Scott shifted himself, doing his best to take most of the weight.

“Don’t let Grandma hear you,” He joked halfheartedly, “She’ll have you putting money in the swear fund again!” 

“Don’t, son,” Jeff muttered, swallowing hard, “Let’s just get out of here.”

Scott nodded, his voice catching in his throat as he spoke,

“F.A.B  _ Dad _ .”


	22. Chapter 22

Virgil glanced to the hologram he had asked for, pulling a face as he returned his attention to the bag of fluids he was setting up,

“Where’s Scott?”

“They’re coming,” Kayo confirmed as she ducked into the med bay, “Alan, Gordon, and Lee are clear with the rest of the victims and the GDF,”

John bit his lip as he looked to Virgil, 

“I’m sorry, you should have--”

“Dad wasn’t this bad,” Virgil cut him off, holding the drip bag in his teeth as he attached the line to the IV catheter, “He’s probably healthy in comparison.”

 

All three turned at hurried footsteps and a shout, 

“Get me a stretcher!” 

“Bringing it!” Kayo called back, jumping to action as she grabbed the hover-stretcher from the wall. She could already hear the footsteps retreating as she followed, racing down into the module and to the ramp. 

Jen was halfway back to Scott and Jeff before Kayo was even out in the sunlight. As she went to follow, a movement to her side caught her eye. 

“Gun!” 

The shout wasn’t enough, she couldn’t get close enough fast enough as the crack split the air. She saw Jen freeze first, drawing her own weapon and firing fractions of a second after the first shot. Scott was moving, but so was Jeff, one stepping in front of the other. 

Before she could see the outcome, a timer on her wrist buzzed as it reached zero. Before she could say any more the blast hit her, sending her backwards up the ramp. 

 

“Kayo!” The voice was distorted through her helmet as she shifted to sit up, wincing at the ringing in her ears. She turned at the light touch on her shoulder, Virgil crouched next to her.

“I’m fine,” She told him, reaching to pull off her helmet, “Go and help the others!”

Across the tarmac she could see Jen shifting to stand, the figure wobbling for a moment before she sprinted to the other figures she was yet to see move. Virgil nodded, 

“You get inside.” He told her before running out into the open space. 

 

Jen was first to them, Scott shifting to push himself up. She caught him as his arm collapsed pulling him into a sitting position, 

“I always found it ironic when our CO’s said your speed let you down on the shooting range,”

He snorted, reaching to press on the red patch over his arm, 

“Shut up.”

She looked over her shoulder to his father, 

“You okay otherwise?”

He nodded, 

“Suit took most of the impact,” He swallowed, wincing, “I’ll be fine.”

 

Jen looked up as Virgil joined them, stretcher by his side. The last she had noticed, Kayo had been following her,

“Kay--”

“She’s fine,” Virgil told her, not missing a beat as he touched his helmet, “Blast caught her but she’ll be okay,”

He paused for a moment, 

“I didn’t hear a shot?”

“Oh, well maybe you’ll hear this one,”

All three of them turned, each of them glaring, 

“You must be Apollo,” Scott stated.

The woman smiled, twisting the gun in her hand, 

“Clever of you to get around my trap, just a shame I have to kill you now. But which of you do I kill first?”

Glares turned to smiles as the gun trailed across the three of them. A voice behind her asking, 

“I think you jus’ need to ask yourself one question, Lady. Why have Jeff and I lasted so long doin’ a job left for the youngens?”

She was slow to turn to face him, shaking her head, 

“Luck.”

He scoffed, 

“There ain’t no such thing.”

A shot fired. Apollo cried out, stumbling backwards and dropping her gun. 

 

Jen was quick to take the weapon, disarming it before she secured it in her belt. Two GDF officers ran over, seizing the woman that had apparently started the whole thing. Watching with satisfaction, she took a breath, almost willing to ask herself if the nightmare was finally over. 

“Jen, give me a hand,” Virgil snapped, crouching at his father’s side, “We need to move him,  _ now _ .”

Reality suddenly hit. The nightmare was far from over.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Drops this and runs to hide*

Gordon was first to look up as the door opened, smiling slightly at the group that stepped in. Grandma was first to speak, 

“So, is it true?”

“Yeah,”

He hadn’t expected Virgil’s voice to sound as unsure as it did, his response sounding more like a question than a statement. It had been brief, but he had seen him. He had seen his Dad. 

“H-how is he?” Brains stuttered, going to sit next to Virgil, pressing close into his side. Virgil shook his head, rubbing his face with a deep sigh,

“Not as bad as Ridley.”

 

Penelope was quiet as she took a seat, 

“What happened to Ridley?”

Virgil looked up and she knew instantly that exhaustion was catching up on him, 

“Sepsis, I think at least,” He swallowed, “John’s with her.”

She watched him shake his head, looking to his hands, 

“Dad’s… Dad’s here.”

Reaching out, she rested her hand lightly on his knee, 

“None of us ever truly believed he was gone,”

“Penny’s right,” Alan murmured in agreement, looking to his Grandmother, “Right? We never thought that he was really gone,”

“No,” She smiled, patting his arm, “You’re right, we didn’t.”

She looked to Virgil again, wishing she could help unburden him. It seemed he had all the answers, but asking the questions seemed to be adding to his exhaustion minute by minute. 

 

“How’s Scott?” Penelope asked the room quietly, but Grandma expected she knew who would answer. 

As Virgil opened his mouth, the door opened, making them all smile at the timing.

“Ask him yourself,” Virgil murmured sitting back, resting his head on the wall.

Scott’s roll of his eyes was exaggerated as he leant in the doorway, 

“I’m fine,” He glanced to the bulge of the bandage on his arm, half hidden by his t-shirt, “It’s just a scratch.”

Jen scoffed next to him, 

“A scratch that needed how many stitches?”

He waved her off, looking to Penelope,

“Thanks for bringing Grandma, Brains and the twins,”

She shook her head with a smile,

“Think nothing of it, Parker seemed to be quite enjoying babysitting!”

The room fell silent for a long moment, Scott’s shoulders fell as realisation hit, 

“Dad doesn’t know.”

 

Grandma stood as she saw him begin to turn back to the door. Her hand was light on his arm, but enough to draw his attention.

“Not this afternoon,” She told him sternly, holding his gaze for a second before looking around the room, “All of you ought to rest,”

“But--” Alan protested, shrinking back as his grandmother’s gaze shot to him. He dropped his head, muttering as he did, “I was just gonna say John--”

“ _ I _ will sort,” Penelope murmured, looking to him with a gentle smile, “Don’t worry.”

Grandma gave a firm nod, 

“The rest of you, hotel,  _ now _ .”

 

*

John looked up at the sound of the door, sniffing and wiping at his eyes. He knew she’d know his smile was forced as she reached out to rub his back, glancing to the bed, 

“How is she?”

“Erm,” He sighed, “Well, the doctors said it was a good job we got her when we did. There’s these wounds on her feet that got infected and given her sepsis,”

She tilted her head slightly as she looked to him, noticing the way the light caught the damp streaks on his cheeks. Rarely did she see him so emotional over anyone. 

It was clear Ridley wasn’t just anyone. 

“She was only gone a couple of weeks,” John murmured softly, “How could they hurt her this bad?”

Her arm wrapped tighter around his shoulder, words seeming like not enough of a comfort. Sighing herself, Penny leant into him,

“She’ll be okay,”

John’s voice was hoarser than she had ever heard it as he murmured, 

“I don’t know what I’ll do if she’s not.”

 

Penny shifted to perch on the bed, smiling softly as she watched him watching Ridley. She had had the inkling since she had caught John talking to Gordon. If she was honest with herself she might have known before, the way John had talked about Ridley before she had even met the woman giving much of the game away. 

“You really do love her don’t you?”

John swallowed before nodding,

“Yeah,” He sniffed, “Oh I feel like an idiot,”

Penny laughed, 

“Why?” She sat forward, taking his hand, “John, there’s nothing  _ shameful _ about being in love!” 

He shook his head quickly, 

“I don’t  _ know _ though!”

He sighed, looking back to the woman in the bed. She knew he didn’t realise it, but his eyes softened as he looked to her. 

“How do you know when it’s love?”

Squeezing his hand, Penny smiled, 

“You just  _ do _ ,” She murmured, “How do you know that your family loves you?”

The look he gave her was unimpressed as he replied,

“They’re my family, they have to.”

With a tut she rolled her eyes,

“Well how do you know  _ I _ love you?”

He shrugged, 

“I dunno, it’s just there I guess,”

“Exactly.”

“But,” He protested, “It’s different!”

Penelope sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him,

“John, you are obstinate. Yes it may be that I love you in a different way, but it’s still love.”

 

He was quiet for a long moment, she recognised the dip between his brows as a sign of careful thinking. She waited, knowing that if he needed to say something he no doubt would. No matter what Grandma had said, rest could wait until John had cleared his thoughts. They had spent enough sleepless nights together for her to know that.

 

“What if she doesn’t feel the same way?” He murmured eventually, “What if she doesn’t  _ love _ me?”

Penny  couldn’t help but notice the way he emphasised the word, almost getting used to its feel on his tongue. She knew that there was no chance of Ridley not reciprocating his feelings, not that she would dare risk saying anything. 

“You can cross that bridge when you know that answer,” She told him, “But you won’t know the answer until she’s better.”

She stood, holding her hand out to him, 

“Come on now, you need rest.”

“But--” 

Her heart clenched at the look he gave her, broken at the thought of leaving. 

“Grandma’s orders,” She said quietly, “We’ll get a call from the doctors if anything changes.”

He sighed, looking back to Ridley. His hand reached out, hesitating just above her cheek for a moment before he brushed a hair back. For a moment Penny wondered if he would kiss her like a prince in the fairytales she had read as a child, awakening the princess from her slumber. 

 

He sucked in a breath as he pulled back, turning to follow her, with a slight nod of satisfaction,

“She’ll still be here tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Peaks out...* please don't kill me!


	24. Chapter 24

 

Jen rocked the baby in her arms, glancing out to the lounge of the hotel suite where the boys were all chattering quietly. She looked back to the kitchen as Penny joined her with Lucy over her shoulder,

“They all look so dazed,”

Penny nodded, placing a bottle of milk on the table, 

“It must be a shock for them all,”

Jen took the bottle, making sure Luke was taking it properly before she looked back to Penny. 

“I don’t think they even know where to start with it all.”

 

If she were honest with herself, she probably wouldn’t have know either. It wasn’t something she had ever imagined to have to go through. Jeff Tracy was alive though, and he’d missed four years of his son’s lives. 

Four years of them moving on. 

She looked back to the twins, sighing softly, 

“He doesn’t even know about these two,”

Penelope raised her eyebrows in surprise, only realising what Jen was saying was true as she heard her words. 

“Things have changed so much.”

Nodding in agreement, Penelope sighed, 

“Yes, but we will adjust, we alway do.”

Jen looked back to the baby in her arms, 

“But how easily though?”

 

Scott smiled as he leant back in his seat, closing his eyes as he listen to Alan’s story, trying to work out just how they’d explain that to their father. 

“Perhaps we should save telling Dad about you piloting Three,” Virgil voiced Scott’s thoughts, “I don’t think he’ll need the shock of that too soon,”

Alan laughed quietly, but Scott could hear it wasn’t the usual entertained laugh they usually got, 

“Yeah,” The youngest agreed, his voice softening “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

 

“And EOS,” John murmured, “Don’t tell him about that yet,”

Scott opened his eyes, glancing past his brothers to where Jen and Penny were sat with the twins in the kitchen, 

“And maybe leave out that he’s a grandfather,”

“Oh you boys aren’t going to have anything left to tell him the rate you’re going on,” Grandma tutted as she leant on the back of the armchair Virgil had claimed. She nodded to Alan as she spoke, 

“You tell him what you’ve done in his ship! I tell you now, he won’t be scared or worried, he’ll be  _ proud _ .”

 

“Grandma’s right,” Gordon nodded from where he was sat next to Alan, “When’s Dad ever been surprised at anything we do?”

Virgil snorted, 

“Well…”

“Yeah yeah,” Gordon waved him off, “We all know  _ that _ story.”

 

“What story?” Jen asked as she joined them, rocking gently with Luke resting over her shoulder. Virgil grinned as he looked to her, 

“He didn’t know Brains and I were dating for  _ ages _ ,” He chuckled, shaking his head, “You should have seen his face when he walked in on us kissing on Two,”

Jen laughed, 

“And he had no idea?”

“I think  _ I _ knew before Jeff did,” Grandma chipped in with a smile, “You boys were determined to turn him grey as young as you could.”

She looked to the young woman as she yawned, tilting her head to rest lightly on the baby boy’s. Smiling fondly, Grandma looked back to her own grandsons, 

“Come on, to bed with you all,”

She had expected the protests from the boys, Scott’s voice speaking over them all, 

“We’ll just stay up a little while longer Grandma, promise.”

She tutted and shook her head, accepting that she wouldn’t win the discussion that day and knowing in all likelihood they would still be there when she got up the following morning. 

 

*

Lee grunted as he pushed the door open, glaring between the doctor and Val, 

“Ah told you that I’m fine! The idiots didn’t touch me,”

Val’s shoulders sunk and he didn’t miss the look that crossed between her and the doctor before she dragged him back into the room, 

“Gordon said you hit your head, they’re keeping you in for observation, besides, you’re dehydrated,”

He snached the bottle of water from the table, glaring as he shuffled back onto the bed. 

 

Val leant against the wall, folding her arms as she watched him, 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” She murmured, her gaze focussed on the floor. His scoff made her look up with a raised eyebrow. He was smirking as he looked across to her, 

“Y’know, if Jeff heard you he’d say you were flirting,”

Her first instinct was to deny it, snorting and rolling her eyes at him as she shrugged, 

“Jeff isn’t here.”

 

Lee sighed, swinging his legs on the bed, 

“How is he?”

“Alive.” She swallowed, biting her tongue before she continued, “They’re worried about his back, the bullet was damned close to his spine. He’ll be laid up for a while,”

Lee snorted, shrugging as he dropped his gaze, 

“Four years, a few more weeks laid up ain’t gonna hurt him.”

Val swallowed, nodding, 

“Well, thanks for helping find him.”

Lee shrugged, 

“He’s a buddy to both of us,”

He snorted to himself, smiling slightly as he swigged the water, 

“Y’know, we talked a bit whilst we were there.”

Val looked up, wondering if he was going to elaborate or if she would have to press for answers. After a long minute she shifted forward, 

“You going to tell me what about?”

He held her gaze for a long moment, brown eyes locking on blue. She straightened, at the look knowing the he wouldn’t watch her without a reason. 

“You.” He stated. 

Her mouth dropped as she shifted her stance, balancing herself as his smile morphed into a grin, 

“Y’know, Jeff never told me that you talked to him about me… he called every week yet never breathed a word.”

She swallowed, about to speak, to interject and protest his comment. He beat her to it though, tilting his head as he asked, 

“Did you ever say it to him?”

 

She pushed off from the wall, shaking her head as she folded her arms tight, 

“Why would I?” 

He sighed, she could feel his eyes follow her across the room as she moved, 

“Because I know I’ve said it.”

She knew her bark of laughter was harsh and loud in the room, but she couldn’t help it. All she had ever known was for him to be ignorant to her affections, yet there he was, suddenly in front of her all but saying the words. 

“Don’t laugh,” He sighed, shoulders sinking, “Val, I…” He swallowed, “...I know I didn’t always show you much affection and then I was kinda an idiot for vanishing off to the moon and never calling.”

She bit her tongue again, looking away as she swallowed. All of her wanted to lash out, to shout and yell at him for being such an idiot. 

“Truth is Val, I didn’t know what to do… You know me, I’ve always had my head in space. Never really was much good at all this social stuff.”

 

Val turned to him, her arms dropping as her hands balled into fists, 

“Really? Because you were always the talker of our group! You always talked to Lucy and Jeff and me, we were…  _ are _ your friends Lee! What happened? What changed that sent you running away from us? From  _ me _ ?”

She ignored the sudden brightness of his eyes, shining in the clinical lighting of the room. He cleared his throat but she brushed it off as clearing the smoke he might have inhaled earlier. It was the way he reached out to her across the bed table that caught her attention, something she had never seen him do … at least not since…

“Luce was always good at relationship advice,” He murmured, voice catching, “John wasn’t the only one left floundering when she died.”

Taking a breath she watched his hand, 

“What? So you just gave up because she wasn’t there to help you?”

He nodded, looking up to her as he swallowed, 

“Yeah, and you know what?”

“What?”

He shifted to stand, wincing as his knees cracked, 

“I’ve spent far too much time regretting that. You know why?”

She’d always been a sucker for being drawn into his games, 

“Why?”

“Because I love you Evangeline Casey.”

 

She sniffed, looking away as she took a breath before she looked to him again spreading her arms, 

“And what? You expect me to just fall into your arms and say I love you too?” She scoffed around a sob, “It’s not that simple Lee, you  _ left  _ and you didn’t call and you were just gone. Do you know how much I missed you?”

Her anger burned as he shrugged, reaching out to her shoulder, 

“No, but if it’s anything like I’ve missed you, then I guess you’ve probably been hurtin’ a hell of a lot.”

“Yes,” She whispered as he took her arm, stopping her from moving away, “Okay? Is that what you want to hear?”

He shook his head,

“No,” He sighed reaching up to wipe the lone tear from her cheek, “Gee Val, I never meant to hurt you. ‘M sorry I did.”

She swallowed, shaking her head, 

“I… you’re…”

He wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her into his chest as she sobbed. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispered, pressing his nose into her shoulder, “Gee Val, I’m really really sorry.”

 

He looked up as the door opened, Val pulling away instantly swiping at her eyes. 

“Colonel Casey,” The doctor nodded to her, “It’s mister Tracy.”


	25. Chapter 25

He groaned as he felt the ache beginning to spread up and down his back despite the softness of the mattress beneath him. Swallowing hard he turned his head to the side, opening his eyes to look for a drink. 

Next to him there was a gentle snort, 

“Finally. I come rushing down here because the doctors say you’re awake, I get here and you’re asleep.”

He opened his mouth to speak, wincing at the dryness of his throat as he looked up to her. Coughing slightly he sighed, 

“Good to see you too, Val.”

 

She smiled, taking the bottle of water and holding it out to him, 

“Don’t try and sit up,”

He frowned, something in her words echoing with the memory of a doctor saying the same thing. She had said he’d been awake, not that he remembered it. 

“Drink,” She ordered, opening the sports cap with a pop and tilting it towards him. He glared but accepted the relief of the cool water, pushing it away after a few sips. 

“Thanks,” he whispered, tilting his head back again as his eyes closed, “What the hell happened?”

 

Val sighed as she sat back in the armchair, 

“You being the idiot you are decided it was a good idea to fight Scott to win a bullet in your back,” She folded her arms, “Seriously, that was the last thing  _ you _ needed on top of everything else,”

He was quiet and still for a long moment, she wondered if he’d fallen asleep again. The hitch in his breathing as he shifted though told her otherwise as he tilted his head back to her again, 

“Wasn’t gonna let Scott get shot,” he sniffed, “You all thought I was dead anyway,”

She folded her arms, pouting slightly at his comment, 

“Not true.”

He opened his eyes, watching her for a long moment before closing them again, 

“I wouldn’t blame you.”

 

She didn’t want to get into that argument, she could see he was too exhausted for it. The time had certainly taken its toll on him, his frame thinner than she had ever seen. 

“How are you?”

He groaned, lips quirking up slightly at the question, 

“Shit.”

Val laughed, shaking her head at him, 

“Honestly Jeff, you scared us to death,”

Her watch buzzed making her raise an eyebrow, 

“Huh, the boys are on their way down, doctors must’ve called them.”

 

“Ridley,” He whispered, eyes snapping open suddenly, “Is she…”

“She’s doing alright,” Val nodded, reaching out to his shoulder, “Pair of you just need some time and rest,”

He relaxed as she rested her hand on his shoulder, the loosening of his muscles palpable under her touch. Sighing, he murmured, 

“She’s good,”

“She is,” Val nodded, “What’s she been telling you huh? All about John letting her on Thunderbird Five? What mischief they’ve been up to?”

A slight nod was his only response, making her smile, 

“You save your energy for when they get here,” She sighed, “Oh the stories they have to tell you.”

 

She rambled on for a while, simply talking whilst he dozed. It didn’t matter to her if he listened or not, the boys would no doubt fill him in on it all later. Smiling to herself she shook her head, 

“You’re here Jeff,” Though it was more a reminder for herself than him, “And you’re going to be alright.”

She sighed as she heard chatter at the door, smiling at the group, 

“That’s them, time for me to go.”

 

“Val?” He croaked as she went to stand, his hand tightening a fraction around hers, “I owe you,”

She grinned with a nod as she looked to him, “Damn right you do,”

Glancing to the door her grin softened to a smile, “Don’t let those boys wear you out, okay? You still need your rest.”

He nodded slowly to her, giving a small, tired smile as his hand dropped to the bed. She knew that he wouldn’t do as she had told him. It wouldn’t surprise her if she came back to the boys all still talking even after Jeff had fallen asleep. He was their father though, they were no longer the orphans they had thought they were, so she knew she didn’t exactly blame them.

 

She stepped out of the room, easing the door shut behind her as the five boys stood to face her. It seemed wrong that she had been there first, though she was sure none of them would say anything, or even mind, that that had been the case. She supposed that it saved any rivalry between the siblings over who was first and who would be last.

“How is he?” Scott asked, glancing towards the door as Alan squeezed between his oldest brothers, adding his bit to the conversation, 

“The doctor didn’t say anything,”

Val smiled stepping away from the door to allow them the space to get in, “Why don’t you all go and see?”

They all hesitated for a moment, each looking to the others as if wanting permission to move forward. 

 

Always their leader, Scott was first to push through the door. Val watched as his shoulders sunk, his strength leaving him with the soft murmur of, 

“Dad?”

Jeff’s head shifted from the side to look in their direction, she saw him smile wider than she had seen earlier but his words weren’t quite loud enough for her to make out.

 

“Boys,” He sighed, taking a deep breath and trying to reach out to them, “My boys.”

Alan was first to him, climbing up onto the bed and curling into his father’s side. Jeff didn’t miss the series of sniffles and throat clearing as they surrounded him. Scott took his hand, perching on the edge of the bed. He wrapped his free arm around Alan, reaching out for Gordon’s hand as he looked down the bed to where Virgil and John were sat by his feet. His voice caught as he looked around them all, each of them grown, little changes that he was sure he wouldn’t have noticed had he have been at home. 

“How are you doing Dad?” Virgil murmured softly, his hand resting over his leg. Each of the boys had a point of contact, Jeff noted, all of them needing the touch as reassurance. He was there. He was alive. 

He could see each of them were waiting, all watching him closely as he sighed,

“I’ll be fine,”

Squeezing Gordon’s hand, and looking down to Alan, he smiled tiredly, “I can’t say how much I’ve missed you boys.”

“Us too Dad,” Gordon sniffed, swiping at his eyes, “Do you have any idea what you’ve missed?”

 

Jeff snorted softly, smiling as he looked around the boys, 

“Ridley gave me an overview,”

He didn’t comment on the changing colour of John’s cheeks, knowing that that conversation could wait for another time. His grip might have been weak around Scott’s hand, but he knew that only a gentle squeeze would catch the eldest’s attention, 

“She said Jenny was still about,” he glanced to Scott’s hand, “Have you not married her yet?”

 

Gordon’s cackle was clue enough that there was a story to be told. Scott scratched the back of his head as he grimaced, 

“We kind of got distracted before we got around to that.”

Virgil scoffed, 

“You always did follow by Dad’s lead,”

“Shut up,” Scott muttered with a smile. 

“Go on,” He prompted, “What happened?”

Scott sighed, shaking his head at his brothers before returning his attention to him. He could tell it was something big, Scott had never been one to hide things from his father without reason. 

“I was going to wait until you were a bit better,” Scott murmured, reaching into his pocket. He set his phone on his lap, flicking through something before showing up an image on hologram. 

“You’re a Grandfather, Dad.”

Jeff blinked hard as he looked to the image, 

“Is that…”

“Oh yeah,” Gordon cut in, “He had to go one better than you ever did.”

“Twins,” Jeff sighed with a smile.

“Luke,” Scott pointed in the image, “And…” He hesitated for a moment, “...Lucy.”

Jeff chuckled, nodding slightly, 

“They sound wonderful.”

 

Alan scoffed, 

“You won’t be saything that when they’re screaming at all hours of the night,”

Jeff’s laugh turned to a cough as he shook his head. Taking a few deep breaths he waved Scott’s hovering hands off, 

“You can fuss over your brothers all you like,” He croaked, coughing briefly as he paused, “But do…” He paused again, face twisting for a moment before he sighed, “...don’t you dare start on me!”

All the boys laughed, jibing at Scott gently as Jeff tilted his head back to focus on his breathing. It didn’t feel natural for him to doze off with all the noise, he should have been keeping an eye on what they would no doubt get up to. 

As Val had said though, he was exhausted and so rest won the battle. 

 

“Shh,” John nudged Gordon at his exaggerated retelling of his story. He nodded to their father, making Gordon turn with wide eyes. Alan looked up, face falling as he realised that he was asleep, 

“Does that mean we have to go?”

“No,” Scott murmured, shifting off the bed to settle back in one of the armchairs scattered about the room. He yawned as he shifted to get comfy, 

“Just keep the noise down.”

Eyes half closed he watched his youngest two brothers huddle together in the corner of the room, whispering and giggling between themselves. He smiled to himself, shaking his head as he leant back in the chair to doze, content that things would be alright.


	26. Chapter 26

The others were all asleep, he knew they wouldn’t miss him whilst he headed down the corridor to the room he had spent most of the afternoon in. Maybe Grandma had ordered him away, but he couldn’t just sit there wondering. He had needed to just know that she was still alright. 

 

What he hadn’t expected as he reached her room was to find her being wheeled towards him in a wheelchair,

“Ridley!” 

He wasn’t sure where the exclamation had come from, and he shrunk back immediately as he realised just how loud his voice had been in the quiet hallway.

She smiled as she reached him, looking up to to him. He knew he was meant to  _ do _ something, to hug her or kiss her cheek. It was a relief to see her safe, and awake. Reaching out to her, he hesitated, shaking his head as he drew his hand back, 

“I… erm… I’m glad to see that you’re alright.”

He looked down as she held her hand out to his, a silent offer for what to do in the situation -- an offer he was happy to accept. As he took her hand he gave her a small smile of thanks, glad that she just understood. In response she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He had to smile again at the action that triggered something akin to comfort as he tightened his own grip on her.

“I’m fine,” She told him, looking down the hallway, “How is your father?”

 

John glanced back, 

“He was awake before,” He looked back to her, realising how pale she still was and how dark her eyes were, “You should be resting,”

“She’s been for some tests,” The porter cut in quietly, “We were just on our way back.”

John moved to the door, holding it open for them, 

“How are you feeling?” He asked her as she shifted up onto the bed. He didn’t miss her wince as she shifted, sighing as she lay back, 

“I’ll be fine,” She waved him off, “Just a bit battered and bruised.”

 

He swallowed as he took the seat next to her head, leaning forward to take her hand, 

“You scared me,”

He avoided her gaze, focussing on the raw red marks around her wrist as he intertwined his fingers with hers. She was quiet for a moment before she whispered, 

“John?”

The quietness of her voice made him look up to her,, 

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for saving me.”

He swallowed, shaking his head at her, 

“I thought you were gone.”

She squeezed his hand, smiling tiredly. He could see the same exhaustion he had in his father’s eyes as she relaxed into the pillow. Sitting straighter, he swallowed hard, not realising a lump had formed in his throat. He took a breath as he looked away, 

“Sorry,” He sniffed, “I don’t know what--”

“It’s okay,” She murmured, tilting her head towards him, “You don’t have to apologise for crying,”

He smiled, shaking his head with a sigh, 

“Virgil once told me that when we feel any emotion so extremely, it overflows and makes us cry,”

Ridley nodded, 

“My Mother used to say the same thing.”

 

He had expected her to ask what he was feeling. She was normally good at that, at getting him to understand parts of himself he had closed off since his mother had died. 

_ Maybe it’s because she’s so tired _ , He thought to himself,  _ I’m just so relieved _ . 

“What is it?” She whispered, eyes closed as her fingers twitched around his. He would never quite understand how she did it, somehow she just seemed to know when there was something. 

“I really am glad you’re okay,” He murmured, “You mean a lot to me Ridley, I want you to know that…”

He trailed off, frowning as he took a breath, 

“... and I think that… Ridley I think I might be in  _ love _ with you...Ridley?”

For a moment he thought she had fallen asleep, but her eyes flicked open and a slow smile spread, 

“John, did you just say that?”

He laughed, ducking his head as he tried to think of something to say. Ridley grinned, shaking her head again, 

“You don’t have to say it again.”

Looking up to her he smiled, knowing she understood. She hadn’t made him say it again, yet he  _ wanted  _ to. 

“I  _ think  _ I love you.”

 

She looked up to him, sniffing as she pulled her hand from his to wipe her eyes. He straightened in his seat, eyes widening as he shifted closer, 

“Ridley?” His hands fluttered over her, looking to do something to stop her crying, “Did I do something? Should I not have said that? Do I--”

“No!” She laughed, wiping her cheeks with another sniff, “No, you didn’t do anything  _ wrong _ .”

She sighed, wiping under her eyes with another shake of her head, 

“I just…” She looked to him, “...I  _ know _ what it means for you to say that.”

He took her hand again as she dropped it, smiling as she settled again, 

“Good.” 

Her eyes rested closed as her smile faded. John ran his thumb across the smooth skin of the back of her hand, murmuring quietly, 

“Good night Ridley.”

She hummed quietly, a smile flickering on her mouth before she faded into sleep.

 


	27. Chapter 27

“Mom,” He groaned, “Please, stop fussing!” 

She stepped back with a sigh, shaking her head at him, 

“You need to drink, Jeff,” She insisted, nudging the bottle of water across the table, “You heard what the doctors said, water will help you get better.”

He sighed, giving her a look of protest even as he took the bottle, 

“I’m a grown Man!”

“Well I wouldn’ be so sure ‘bout that!” 

 

Jeff looked up with a grin, 

“A week and you finally find time to drag yourself down here to see me!” 

Val laughed as she stepped in behind Lee, 

“You can blame that on me,” She offered, “We’ve been having a debrief.”

Jeff’s smile fell as he shifted to sit more upright, 

“So that’s why the boys have been so busy?”

He looked to his mother as she touched his shoulder, lips pressed tight together,

“They didn’t want to worry you with it yet.”

Val stood at the end of the bed as Lee dragged a seat closer, 

“You’re the only one left to tell the story.”

 

Suddenly glad to have an excuse to drink, he took a long swig of water. Taking a breath he nodded to Val,

“What do you want to know?”

Val set down a holopad on the bed table, pressing a button before she looked back to him, 

“Who were they?”

He wanted to shrug, but the voice recorder wouldn’t pick that up and, it was still aching with how he had pulled in. 

“The ring leader was Apollo,” He avoided their gazes as he spoke, “Her second was Nova, I don’t know if they were together in a relationship or not… it seemed complicated. Astrid was their tech guru. Those were the only names they used, I never met or properly saw any of the others.”

“But there were more than those three?” Val prompted. 

He nodded, mouth twisting as he sighed, 

“GDF I’m afraid, at a guess four or five of them.”

Val nodded, he guessed she had already known that. The others in the camp had recognised the flyers that had come and gone, they would have said the same thing. 

 

“And what did they have you doing?”

He looked up, opening his mouth to speak before hesitating. He knew that they wouldn’t know that. Nobody except him, Apollo, Nova, and Astrid had known what they had been building there. 

“They wanted to go to Mars,” He started, “The believed that there was something there for mining, thought it was gonna make them rich.” 

Lee scoffed in his seat, 

“Well they’re too damned late. Mars was colonised two years ago!” 

“No way!” Jeff looked to him, “I thought that project was years off?”

Val looked pointedly between them, 

“That project was meant to be top secret.”

Lee waved her off, 

“We were the first men on the planet, we’re allowed to be in on that kind of thing.”

 

Jeff looked back to Val, 

“That’s what got me dragged into it all,”

“Why?”

“They wanted the technology to get them there,” He sighed, “Of course, they knew about IR, and the ships and everything,”

Val folded her arms, 

“They just wanted information?”

“They wanted  _ secrets _ . They didn’t just want to go to Mars, they wanted power and control,” He snorted as he looked to his arm, “They wanted to  _ hurt _ people.”

Val’s voice was quiet as she watched him, 

“And what did you tell them?”

His gaze snapped up, hardening as his jaw clenched, 

“Really Val? You think they did  _ this _ ? And you think they hurt Ridley like they did because I told them everything?” His hands fisted in the sheets as he snarled, “I thought you knew me  _ better _ .” 

 

She started down the bed, firm and unmoving as she watched him. Her voice was just as hard as she spoke, 

“I  _ do _ Jeff,”

“Then why?” He snapped, not caring that he was shouting, “Why would you even  _ think _ that I would tell them anything?”

He hadn’t expected her response to be just as harsh, 

“Because I have watched man after man try to  _ destroy _ what you built, I have watched  _ threat _ after  _ threat _ look your sons in the eye only able to pray they come out the other side!” She swallowed as she stared him down, “I have seen people that know too much and have to wonder how they  _ knew _ .”

“I would  _ never _ ,” He growled, “Put my sons at risk.”

His voice caught in his throat, not shifting when he swallowed. Looking away he sniffed, shaking his head, 

“ _ Never _ .”

“Don’t you think  _ I _ know that Jeff?” Val whispered, "But  _ you _ know I had to ask."

He looked to his wrists, rubbing the red marks as he cleared his throat. She was right, he did know. Of all people, he should have known that she would understand. Val knew what his boys meant to him. 

“I’m sorry,” He muttered, closing his eyes. It was a debrief. There were questions unanswered, questions he could answer. 

When he looked up again, tears had streaked his cheeks. His nod was firm as he took a deep breath, 

“I told them nothing.”

Val nodded, reaching out to the holopad,

“The rest can wait.”

 

His shoulders sunk as he leant back into the pillows, 

“Sorry,”

“Son,” Her hand was light on his shoulder again, “You’ve been through a lot,”

He shook his head, 

“That’s no excuse,”

“ _ Yes _ ,” She murmured, “It is.”

“Jeff,” Lee sighed as he moved to sit on the end of the bed, “Listen, your boys, they’re grown now an’ I mean in more ways than jus’ being grown ups.”

Val rolled her eyes as she looked to Jeff, 

“What we’re trying to say is, you don’t have to be the strong one anymore. As much as they have missed you, the boys don’t need you to lead them now.”

Lee nodded, 

“What is it you always tol’ me Sal?” He smiled as he nudged Jeff’s leg, “Nought wrong with askin’ for some help.”

Sally nodded with a smile, 

“That’s it. Your sons have learnt that, it’s about time you did too.”

 

They all looked up at the movement outside the door. Sally smiled as she looked to her son, 

“We’ll leave you to meet your Grandchildren.”

He looked between the three of them, 

“Thank you… for--”

“We know.” Val nodded with a small smile, looking to Lee, “Come on you, we agreed on coffee.”

“Oh,” Sally stood at the same time as Lee, “Coffee sounds wonderful!”

Jeff was left chuckling as his mother followed his two closest friends out. 

 

Scott was grinning as he stepped in, glancing back briefly before returning his attention to the pram he was trying to maneuver into the room. 

Jeff shifted to stand up, reaching out, 

“Let me help,”

“No,” Scott laughed, “I got it, I can do it.”

Jeff smiled, 

“Have you not learnt yet that those contraptions are impossible?”

Grinning, Scott shrugged as he picked the first of the twins from the pram, 

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

He sat on the bed next to his father, cradling the baby in his arms. Looking across to him, Scott held his arms out, 

“Want to hold your Granddaughter?”

Not needing to be asked twice, Jeff held his arms out taking the little girl. She chattered to herself as he sat her on his lap, he had to smile as she reached out when Scott took her brother from the pram. 

“That your brother?” He murmured, watching her bright blue eyes as she looked around the room. Her hand grasped onto his finger her grip tight, 

“Oh she’s a Tracy alright,”

Scott nodded, rocking Luke gently on his knee, 

“I’d say you can’t imagine how crazy it feels,” He smiled as he looked to his father, “But you’ve been there haven’t you?”

“Well,” Jeff sighed, “Not with twins.”

 

Scott sighed, watching his little girl in his father’s arms. He couldn’t help but think about how she had grown, how small and fragile she had once seemed. It felt like a lifetime ago, the raw feelings of protective pride but also of want for his father to have been there. 

“I really needed you when they arrived,” he murmured, “I had no idea what to do,”

Jeff shook his head, nudging his son with a shake of his head,

“Don’t be daft, you don’t need your old man to show you what to do,” He looked down to the little girl again, “Your Dad’s doing a great job, isn’t he kid?”

Lucy babbled, her hand grasping the material of her grandfather’s t-shirt. Luke was watching her, glee clear on his face as he screeched with laughter, clapping as he looked to his father. 

Scott rolled his eyes, 

“Good to know that’s what the pair of you think of me,”

Jeff chuckled at the twins’ outburst, shaking his head, 

“I wouldn’t take it to heart, son.”

 

He shifted to stand, going to sit in the armchair. Shifting the little girl on his lap he smiled,

“You’re going to be a little madam aren’t you?”

Her grin was bright as she looked up, gently tapping his arm. Leaning down, he kissed the soft downy hair, 

“Of all the things, I can’t say I ever really expected to come back to this,”

Scott laughed as he lifted Luke into the air, 

“Now Grandpa’s just trying to get out of babysitting.”

“Your Grandmother said it’s about time I helped out whilst you’re running everything,” He smiled at the speed in which Scott looked up, “Don’t worry, I’m not just going to take everything back over.”

Scott’s shoulders sunk, a small smile playing on his lips, 

“Well, you’re welcome to Tracy Industries, I’m not going to miss that.”

Jeff chuckled, nodding, 

“It’s a deal.”

 

The door hissed as it opened, John stepped in looking tired as he looked to his oldest brother, 

“Have you seen the news?”

Scott shrugged, 

“Not since I left the hotel,”

John sighed, stepping over the pram to flick on the tv, 

“Look.”

 

Scott twisted to look at the image, instantly recognising their family jet as it taxied along a runway. 

“The unmistakable lettering of the Tracy Family Jet had always been an attraction for reporters,” The news anchor was saying as the image zoomed out from the jet, “Since their father’s disappearance,however, the jet has rarely been used with only special events calling for it to be needed.”

The image changed to the streets of where they were staying, focussing on their hotel and then the hospital.

“It was only last week that Thunderbird Two was spotted landing nearby before a GDF convoy rushed casualties to hospital that the Tracy brothers had no doubt rescued. Since then all of the Tracy brothers, and their family have been spotted fit and well. Begging the question, who is in this hospital that is of such interest to the Tracy Family?”

The image returned to the reporter, 

“I’m sure we will no doubt find out in the next few hours.”

 

“How is it,”

Everyone jumped and turned at the voice, Jeff smiling at the doctor as she shook her head and started again,

“How is it, the press know I’m discharging you before  _ I _ know I’m discharging you?”

Scott grinned as he stood, shifting Luke into one arm, 

“We’re the Tracy family,  _ everyone _ knows stuff about us that we don’t know.”


	28. Chapter 28

Sally shook her head as she glanced out of the glass fronting of the hospital, 

“Are you sure about this Val? That’s quite the crowd.”

She shifted her grip on the tablet, looking to the mass of reporters,

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before, Sally,”

Lee coughed as he nodded, 

“Besides, it’s better now rather than them findin’ out when he gets down here.”

She sighed, shaking her head, folding her arms tightly, 

“It still doesn’t feel quite real,”

Val smiled, wrapping an arm around the older woman’s shoulders, 

“It will once he’s home.”

 

“We’re ready for you,” An assistant announced, holding the door for them. Taking a breath, Val lead the way out. She couldn’t help but wince at the roar, a bombardment of questions all landing at once. Looking to her sides, she smiled reassuringly at both Sally and Lee before looking back to the crowd, waiting for the roar to fade before she spoke.

“This time last week, International Rescue and the GDF carried out a recovery mission for an illegal operation that had been taking place in the mid Atlantic ocean.” 

She paused at the chatter, glancing to her notes again before she continued, 

“As part of this recovery, a number of presumed dead astronauts were rescued from what can only be described as a labor camp.”

“I am aware that many questions have been raised as to why the Tracy family would be spending so much time at this hospital, and they have asked me to provide the press with answers to these questions. I can confirm that their presence here is linked to the rescue carried out last week, however, I can also assure you that no current active members of International Rescue were harmed during the incident.”

 

Shifting her stance, she glanced back at the light touch of Sally’s hand on her arm. Things were still sinking in for her, the reality of the situation not quite seeming real. She knew she had to tell the world though and give them the chance to process it all. 

“We did, however, recover a key member of the team. During the recovery, ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy was found alive. He has since been recovering from the ordeal with the help of the staff here. The entire Tracy family would like to extend their thanks to all the staff for their kindness and discretion in the last week, and would like to request that the public and press give them time to readjust and recover in peace.”

 

She swallowed, hands gripping the podium tighter. 

Jeff was okay. 

He was there. 

“I assure you that Mister Tracy is recovering well and will be discharged later today, the family will be returning to their island home for privacy at this time and I’m sure a further announcement will be made in due course.”

Jeff was going home.

She nodded to the crowd before turning and walking back inside. Not pausing until she was in the elevator. Sinking down to the floor she tilted her head back. It still didn’t feel real.

 

“You couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

She opened one eye at Sally, 

“Sorry,” She sighed, rubbing her face, “It all kind of suddenly sunk in.”

There was a soft chuckle, 

“Yeah, a’h know that feelin’.”

The gentle squeeze on her shoulder made her smile tiredly as she rested her hand over his, 

“Thanks, Lee.”

She pulled herself up again as the elevator dinged, sighing as she stepped out into the hallway, 

“Let’s get them and get out of here.”

 

Lee’s fingers brushed hers, drawing them back as Sally passed them heading for Jeff’s room. She turned with a smile,

“What?”

He smiled back at her, falling into step as they walked, 

“A’h just wanted to walk  _ with  _ you darlin’.”

She felt the colour in her cheeks as she slowed her steps, 

“Sorry,” She sighed, “Habit to just walk.”

“Don’t I know it,” He chuckled, shaking his head as they reached the door, “Always married to your army.”

 

“Seriously Mom,” Jeff was saying as they stepped in, the look he was giving her no doubt meant to be meaningful. Val pretended to not see the look as she turned to the group, 

“You do realise that they’re still going to hound you the moment you get out of that door?”

Scott smiled with a nod,

“Was worth trying to see if they’d listen to the GDF Colonel.”

Lee snorted behind her, hiding the noise with a cough. He shrugged at the look she gave him, smirking as he spoke, 

“Well really, who ever listened to you?”

Rolling her eyes Val shook her head, 

“I’m starting to wonder that myself.”

She glanced around the room again, 

“What have you done with the twins?”

 

“Jen took them and went out the back door with John and Ridley,” Scott told her, pushing himself out of the seat, as he nodded towards the door, “Here’s the terrible trio,”

“Hey!” Virgil groused as he stepped through the door, “They’re the terrible  _ two _ .”

Scott grinned as he slung an arm over his younger brother’s shoulder, 

“And you make three.”

Jeff chuckled, shaking his head as he stood, 

“Plus you makes four!” 

He pulled the sleeves of his jumper up, smiling as he squeezed Alan’s shoulder, taking a moment to look at the youngest, 

“When did you get so tall?”

The youngest laughed, ducking away from the hand that went to ruffle his hair,

“I’m taller than  _ Gordon _ now, Dad!” 

“You are not!” 

Jeff chuckled at the protest as he looked across to Alan, noting how the last time he had seen him he had had to look  _ down _ on him, 

“I take it that’s a sore point?”

“Very.” Grandma murmured as she passed them. 

 

He looked back to Alan with raised eyebrow, 

“How about we go home Allie?”

He wrapped his arm tighter as Alan leant close into his side, smiling as the youngest nodded, 

“I couldn’t think of anything better Dad.”


	29. Chapter 29

  
He’d let the boys go ahead, all eager to race up from the hangar and be first to the kitchen. Instead he’d taken his time, heading up after everyone else, taking a minute to escape to his room. As much as he wanted to be with his boys, his family, he needed some space.

It was hard not to smile as he stepped through the door, everything kept just in place, near enough as he had left it. He didn’t doubt his mother had made the bed, heck, he knew she’d probably been changing the sheets regularly too. Part of him felt like he had never been away, the room so clean as it was.   
He felt different though, from the way his shirt hung from his frame where it had once fitted snugly, to the knowledge that he was out of place. His family had moved on, long since expecting him to not come back and adjusting as they needed. It was time for him to adjust.

His fingers found one of the photos he kept by his bed, perhaps one he treasured most. He swallowed as he touched his wedding ring, sinking to his mattress as he took the frame into his lap.

“Oh Luce,” he sighed, brushing his fingers over the glass, “Where do I even start?”  
Shaking his head he chuckled at himself,   
“You’d tell me just to get on with it, that I’m being an idiot.”  
Swallowing, he looked up to the ceiling, tapping his foot on the floor as he let out a long breath.  
“Yeah,” He sighed, blinking back the tears that threatened to escape “I’m being an idiot.”  
Pushing himself up, he returned the photo to its spot,   
“Best go and get on,” He murmured, wiping his cheeks, “Sitting here won’t change anything.”  
He had to glance back once more as he reached the door, smiling at the photo.   
I know you’re still there, He thought to himself, not daring to voice the thought out loud as he stepped out into the hallway, Thanks Luce.

The row of rooms was unchanged as he walked along them, the familiar nine doors a comfort when it felt that everything had changed. He took a moment, looking out of the glass front, just able to see the boys out by the pool in the dimming light. It was another scene that should have been a comfort but he couldn’t help but see the changes, each of his boys slightly older, new faces joining them, sitting close to them. He had to turn away again, not quite sure how to process what he was seeing.   
Shaking his head he carried on, only pausing at the top of the staircase. The hallway to his left was new, as was the staircase at the end of that. He hesitated for a moment, glancing back down the staircase -- the others would be waiting for him.   
Looking up again, he shrugged, they could wait a few more minutes.

The corridor was plain, like many others linking the main villa to the workshops, his office, and even the hangars. Eventually it opened out onto a hallway decorated just as plainly, a white door the only thing signalling that the space was used.   
He tested the handle, slightly surprised when the door slid back at his touch. Stepping into the room he looked around, a comfortably sized kitchen come lounge decorated in the style he knew Scott to prefer. It didn’t take him long to come to the assumption that the apartment was for Scott’s own family to have their space.

Instinct made him freeze at the cry that pierced the air, he glanced towards the source of the sound, one of the doorways at the opposite end of the room. He knew he couldn’t just leave and hope whichever twin would go back to sleep. Instead he went to them, smiling when he found only one of the pair crying.   
“Hey now,” He murmured, picking up the baby, hoping that the blue onesie meant it was Luke, “What’s to do kiddo?”  
He rested him against his shoulder, rocking slightly,   
“Come on, we don’t want to wake your sister now.”

He took him back out to the lounge, easing down into the sofa as he rubbed the baby’s back,   
“Oh now come on, it’s not so bad,” He soothed, bringing him down from his shoulder as the cries faded, “You’re alright kid.”  
He smiled as his grandson reached out to grasp onto his shirt, clutching tightly as Jeff rocked gently,   
“You’re so loved, Luke, you and your sister. Remember that, okay?” He sighed as he brushed the fine hair back from the baby’s face, “Because what your parents do, it’s hard work. IR isn’t an easy thing to be part of, and sometimes they might not be home for bedtime, or there for special days, they might be tired and seem distant, and occasionally snap at you for being annoying when you just want to show them a picture you drew in class,” Leaning down he kissed the boy’s forehead, “But that doesn’t mean they don’t love you, okay? You will always be so, so loved.”

“They do know, you know?”  
He turned at the voice, sitting straighter as Luke reached out over his shoulders, babbling happily at the sight of his mother. Jeff smiled, standing to hand him over.  
“Your boys, I mean,” She added as she took the baby, “They know you always loved them.”  
He cleared his throat, smiling as he soothed down the baby’s hair,   
“If I could, I would do things differently,”  
Jen shook her head,   
“You had a tough time of it when the boys’ mother died,” She offered, “They know that,”  
Jeff snorted, shrugging,   
“There was a time, where I wouldn’t have blamed them for hating me.”  
She nodded,   
“They know that too, but they understand that it wasn’t easy for you all the time and they do know that you always loved them,” She glanced back towards the door, “Even now.”  
He smiled, nodding as he swallowed,   
“Thanks Jen.”

She waved him off, glancing towards the door,   
“You wouldn’t bring Lucy would you? It’s their tea time, hopefully they’ll settle then and leave us in pace,”  
He chuckled, reaching for Luke,   
“I think she’ll prefer her Mom waking her.”  
She laughed, handing Luke over,   
“To be fair, you’re probably right.”  
She tickled the little boy’s cheek with a smile,   
“And you listen to your Grandpa’s advice mister, and remember to tell your sister too.”  
Jeff laughed as she went, watching the little boy in his arms.

Maybe things had changed, and his family have moved on. Something told him that things would realign, like the stars in the sky always going back to the same spot in the sky. 


	30. Epilogue

**6 months later**

 eased the weights back into place, sighing at the ache in his arms. He sat up, taking the towel Virgil threw across to him,   
“Thanks,” he rubbed the sweat away from the back of his neck.   
“You’re getting stronger,” Virgil commented, swigging his water, “You’ll soon be up to One fifty,”  
He looked back to the weights, shaking his head,   
“I’m still--”  
“Don’t start,” He tutted with a roll of his eyes, “Time Dad.”  
“Yeah yeah,” He muttered, standing with a huff, “Right, is it not lunch time?”  
“I think it is.” Virgil agreed.

“International rescue, we have a situation.”  
Virgil grimaced as he shared a look with his father,   
“Or maybe not.”

*  
“Thunderbird Two, you need to swing round more,” Scott commented, “I can’t get a good angle with you there,”  
Jeff glanced up from where he was building blocks with Lucy, watching the hologram with slight interest.   
“Scott you should be able to get in from the other side,” John contributed, “If you get your firing angle right,”   
“No rush here guys,” Gordon uttered, “We’re only getting crushed by the roof,”  
“Better that than a tonne of bricks,” Jen sniped across the line.

Jeff stood, changing his view on the hologram,   
“Gordon stop exaggerating, you’ve still got six foot of clearance,” He glanced to the readouts, “How are you holding up Jen?”  
She sighed, “Six inches of clearance would be a blessing right now,”  
“I did offer--” Scott chipped in.  
“You focus on getting a line down there.” Jeff cut him off before returning his attention to Jen,   
“Alan’s not far off of you now with the Mole,”  
She let out a long breath again,   
“Yeah, just the tight spaces, y’know?”  
He nodded, glancing down as Luke pulled himself up using the ledge of the table,   
“Mama!”  
She laughed softly,   
“Hey Lukey, are you behaving for Grandpa?”   
The boy nodded as he stated, “No.”   
Jeff chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his hair,   
“That’s giving mixed signals kiddo,”   
Jen was laughing again, speaking away from her comm to those she was rescuing no doubt telling them all about the antics of the one year old twins. He knew it must have been a comfort to have such a distraction in the situation.   
“Uh--” He announced, reaching up to Jeff, “Uh!”   
“Okay,” Jeff sighed, crouching to lift him, “Up we go.”  
He grinned, reaching out to the hologram, “Mama!”   
“We’re gonna be home soon Lukey, just as soon as your uncle Alan gets here,”  
“I’m thirty seconds away Jen.”  
Jeff looked down at a gentle thump, noticing one of Lucy’s blocks had landed slightly closer to the table. He shook his head,   
“You heard your Mom, she’ll be home to play later,”  
“The first thing I’m doing when I’m home is getting a bath.”

Penelope laughed as she entered the lounge,   
“I’ll get one run for you Jen when you set off!”   
“Why does Jen get a bath run for her?” Gordon protested, “We never get that special treatment!”   
Jeff shook his head as he set Luke back down, smiling at the outburst. Penelope rolled her eyes as she sat with Lucy, running her fingers through the little girl’s hair,   
“You’re not a hard working mother of two.”  
“And it’s not your date night.” Jen added.  
Gordon scoffed,   
“I don’t get that treatment on date nights!”   
“Focus guys,” John cut in, “We’re on a rescue remember?”  
Penny smiled as she looked to Jeff, raising an eyebrow. He held his hands up in resignation,   
“My fault, I distracted them.”

She looked back to the holograms, knowing that the boys didn’t really mind. Gordon and Jenny would have welcomed the distraction whilst they were stuck, helpless for a few minutes. She wouldn’t say anything but she believed having their father there to distract worked well, drawing the nagging comments to hurry up away from the others.   
It might have taken time, but they had found what had worked. As always, each rescue had brought its own set of challenges for the team. Jeff forced to sit and watch, letting his boys run things the way they had become used to in his absence. It had always been acknowledged by them though, that he was there, watching and listening… and waiting. When they had needed him, they had asked. Over time they had adjusted, and she knew that they had reached a point where nobody needed to ask, but the questions would be answered all the same.

“We’re all good now,” Virgil announced, “Just to drop off the miners, then we’ll be on our way home,”  
John smiled as he closed down the screens he had been monitoring,   
“Back in time for tea.”  
Gordon sighed in contentment,   
“That sounds good to me, you coming down tonight Johnny?”  
John grinned, shaking his head,   
“Nope, I’m going over to Ridley’s for dinner.”  
He rolled his eyes at the noise of disgust Gordon made,   
“Space food, yuck,”  
John grinned at the sound of their father’s chuckle,   
“Nothing wrong with the stuff!”   
Looking to the hologram John smiled,   
“I’m with you there Dad.”  
“Have a good night kid, call us when you’re back.”

John paused at the comment, smiling to himself as he nodded. He could safely say it wasn’t something he had ever expected to hear from his father, for more than one reason. If he looked back he would never have expected to end up where he had. For the first time in longer than he cared to think, he felt truly happy and loved.   
“I will Dad,” He nodded, “I’ll speak to you later.”  
It was a comfort he had never thought he would feel to be able to say those words again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you that have stuck with this story over the last few months. I truly appreciate every kudos and comment I receive and constructive feedback is always welcome.


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